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Americaii Biographical Series 



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JOHN PAUL JONES 
OLIVER HAZARD PERRY 
DAVID GLASGOW FARRAGUT 
GEORGE DEWEY 



EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 

BOSTON 

New York Chicago San Francisco 






• Copyrighted 

By educational publishing company 

1904 



CONTENTS. 



John Paul Jones . . . . . . . . 7 

Oliver Hazard Perry ...... 39 

David Glasgow Farraglt ...... 78 

George Dewey . . . . . . . . 113 



JOHN PAUL JONES 



BY 



WALTER PRITCHARD EATON 






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JOHN PAUL JONES. 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 



HOW JONES GREW UP. 

In the little cottage of the gardener on the old estate of 
Arbigland, Scotland, was born in July, 1747, a boy named 
John Paul. In later years he added the name Jones, and 
became the John Paul Jones of history. 

Little John soon grew to roam at play in the midst of a 
beautiful country. Behind his father's house sprang up a 
mountain, steep and rocky, with summit sharp against the 
sky. In front a green park stretched away, through ave- 
nues of trees, to the shores of the Soloway Bay. To the 
very edge of the water went the trees, where the high 
bank dropped straight down out of sight in the still, black 
water. 

There the ships came in when the ocean outside was 
stormy. Their tall masts almost caught in the tree tops, so 
close could they come to the shore. 

John often stood on his fathei*^s doorstep and watched 

7 



8 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

till he saw a flag come floating by over the green branches, 
and caught the flash of a white sail through some leafy 
avenue. 

Then he would scamper down to the bank, and stare at 
the sailors coiling ropes or crawling up the rigging like 
human cats. Oh, if he, too, could go up those tall, swaying 
rope-ladders ! 

Or he would listen to the captain shouting hoarse orders, 
often in some strange, foreign tongue. Perhaps he would 
try to imitate him. Then the sailors would look up and 
laugh at the little, big-eyed boy on the bank above them. 

On other days he would scramble up the mountain 
behind his home, and look away over the bay to the dis- 
tant blue ocean where the white ships, like gulls in the 
sky, were skimming everywhere. 

"Where are they going?" he wondered. "And what 
will they see away beyond the sky line ? " 

Was it any surprise he did not want to be a gardener, 
like his father, and live always in that tiny cottage ? No, 
he would be a sailor, like the strange men he loved to 
watch, and would sail away to see the world. The great, 
blue ocean called too loudly — the great earth was too 
wide ! He must be doing something. 

So, when he was but thirteen years of age, he was 
allowed to go as sailor on the Friendship, a ship then 



JOHN PAUL JONES. <J 

bound for Virginia. Thus the land he first visited was the 
land he afterwards fought for. 

A boy who dared to leave his home for the rough life of 
a sailor when only thirteen, could not remain a common 
sailor long. He studied so hard the art of l)uilding and sail- 
ing ships, and he was so quick and eager to learn, that 
when only nineteen he was made a mate ; and at twenty- 
one he had l)ecome a captain. 

Five, years later, when he was twenty-six, came the 
death of his elder brother. This brother had been a planter 
in Virginia ; so Paul left the sea to take care of the farm in 
America. 

But his stay on land was short. No doubt it would have 
been short anyway — gardening {ind farming are much 
alike. As it was, only two ])rief years later, in 1775, 
came the battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill. Paul at 
once made up his mind to hght for America. Though he 
was born on British soil, no man loved liberty better than 
he, and no man was more ready to fight in her name. 

Congress accepted his offer to serve in the navy, and 
made him a lieutenant on the Alfred., the flagship of our 
little fleet. It was at this time that he changed his name 
to Paul Jones. Perhaps he did not Avish his countrymen 
to hear what he had done and think of him as a traitor. 

The American navy in those days was poor and weak. 



10 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

Yet the Americans could fight. Back in 1772, in Rhode 
Island, the men of Providence had disguised themselves as 
Indians, and rowed out in boats one night to capture the 
British sloop-of-war, Gaspe. 

They were armed, not with guns, but with cobble stones ! 
Yet with these they knocked over the sentinel and made 
the ship their own. 

It was from them that the Boston Tea Party copied their 
idea. They, too, you remember, dressed like Indians. 

And way down in Machias, Maine, just after the war 
broke out, the young farmers, under Jeremiah. O'Brien, 
chased in a cargo ship an English man-of-war. They 
were fewer in number than the English crew, and half of 
them were armed with pitch forks and axes. But they 
-, won the day ; and then with the ship they had taken they 
began to capture British merchantmen. 

But these were only small victories after all, and could 
only occur when a British ship was caught alone ; for the 
English navy was large, ours very small. The English 
had 2078 cannon on their seventy-eight ships in American 
waters; we had only 114 cannon, and small ones at that, 
on our eight ships. 

This poor little fleet of eight ships, however, was the 
beginning of our navy. Small, indeed, but not to be de- 
spised ! Then, too, John Paul Jones was lieutenant on the 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 11 

flagship. Better ships we have to-day ; but no braver 
officers than he. 

In December, 1775, this, our first fleet, was ready to sail 
from Philadelphia. The winter sun shone brightly on the 
house tops and sparkled on the cakes of ice that floated 
down the river. Swarms of people thronged the wharves 
and banks. The ships lay waiting in mid-stream with the 
sailors ready on their decks. 

Then Commodore Hopkins, the commander of the fleet, 
left the shore and was rowed through the ice to the Alfred. 
Up the side he sprang. As he touched the deck Paul 
Jones was ready with the flag ropes in his hand. Up rose 
a yellow banner with a rattlesnake upon it, coiled beneath 
a pine ti^ee, and the words, " Don't tread on me ! " 

The flag flapped proudly over Paul Jones' head. A 
great cheer arose. Our first fleet was away. 

RAISING THE STARS AND STRIPES. 

This fleet accomplished little. The Americans had yet 
to learn the art of handling ships. However, New 
Providence, in the Bahama Islands, was captured, together 
with many cannon and usefuK stores. It was Paul Jones 
who steered the squadron into the harbor, after the other 
officers had despaired of entering. 



12 JOHN PATTL JONES. 

When the fleet returned, Jones was made captain of the 
little sloop Providence, mounting twelve cannon and carry- 
ing sevent}^ men. In this ship he put to sea alone to 
capture the enemy's merchant vessels. 

To dodge in and out unharmed among so many British 
warships was not easy. But Paul Jones was equal to the 
task. Never was a man more quick or cool of head. 

Once he chased a big ship, thinking it was a merchant- 
man. Too late he discovered his mistake. It was the 
English war-frigate, 8oJehay, who came at him with her 
heavy cannon blazing. Any other man would have sur- 
rendered at once ; not so Jones. 

He knew that he could outsail the Britisher, if only he 
could get the wind dead behind him. It was his only 
chance. Slowly he worked his ship to the windward 
of the Solehay. Then suddenly he turned about, darted 
almost under the big ship's bowsprit, and before the 
English crew could get over their surprise, was sailing 
safe away. 

Once, too, he was chased by the English ship Milford. 
Finding that he coukl sail the faster if he wished, he 
dodged along just out of range, and let the English captain 
waste his powder in broadside after broadside. To worry 
the poor captain all the more, Jones answered every can- 
non shot with the pop of a single musket. 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 13 

It was for all the world like l:>eing chased by a fat dog 
that barks and barks, but cannot get near to bite, — while 
you pelt his nose with pebbles. 

In this cruise of forty-seven days, Jones captured six- 
teen prizes, which he carried into the harbor of Newport, 
Rhode Island. 

He was now made captain of a better ship, the Alfred. 
In this he sailed to break up the fisheries in Cape Breton 
Island, and to release the American prisoners confined 
there. He did not succeed, because the harbor was frozen 
up ; but he captured a ship full of clothing, which fell to 
the poor, half-clad American army like the manna to the 
Israelites of old. 

On his return, Jones was most unjustly treated by Con- 
gress. Although he was one of the first officers to enter 
the navy, men who had come in later were ranked above 
him, and his command of the Alfred Avas taken away. 
Yet it was his own plan that Congress later adopted as a 
fair method of ranking in the naval service ; — too late to 
hel}) Paul ffones, however. 

Rank meant much to him. It meant not only a title, 
but power — power over more men and bigger ships. He 
was angry at the injustice, and was it any w^onder? 

But he was not the man to cry " sour grapes," and 
remain idle. Soon he was put in command of the ship 



14 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

Ranger, and told to sail for France, where he would be 
given a larger vessel. 

As he went aboard the Ranger, he hoisted for the first 
time on any warship the new flag of the United States — 
thirteen stripes of red and white, and thirteen stars on a 
field of blue. 

On reaching France, he begged in vain for the ship that 
had been promised him. He was sorely disappointed, for 
the Ranger was poor and small. And Jones had formed 
the daring scheme of attacking the English on their very 
coasts ! But be his ship good or bad, he was not the man 
to drop his plan. Accordingly he made ready the Ranger 
for her coming perils. 

Before he sailed, however, he would have the American 
flag saluted. Never yet had it been recognized by a foreign 
nation. He had been the first to hoist it on any ship, — 
he would be the first to see an Old World nation oreet it. 

At Quiberon Bay lay a large French fleet. To the 
admiral of this fleet went Jones, and told him what he 
wanted. The admiral did not know whether to salute an 
unknown flag or not ; he hardly thought he could. But 
Jones did know, and he kept at the Frenchman until he 
gave in and promised a salute. 

So the next morning, hoisting the Stars and Stripes to 
the mast head, Jones sailed in one little ship through the 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 15 

whole French squadron. Then, as his few cannons spoke 
with tiny spits of red, he heard, like joyful music in his 
ears, the answering roar that flamed from the high-walled 
ships of France. 

It was a proud moment for Jones — a proud moment for 
America ! 

Not long after, with the star-set banner still aloft, he 
steered boldly out for the Irish Channel. 

WHITEHAVEN AND THE DRAKE. 

In was in April, 1778, that Jones sailed up the Irish 
Channel, capturing prizes as he went. 

He was not the first American to attack the Englishmen 
at their very doors. Others had been there before him. 
Captain Connyngham, in the SuypiHse and the Revenge, 
had been the boldest, and had so frightened the English 
that insurance rates on vessels rose to 25 per cent, and 
ships would not cross the Irish Channel without a convoy, 
something which had never happened before even in the 
wars with near-by France. 

But Jones was to eclipse them all. He at once set about 
a plan so bold that it was almost reckless. Paul Jones, 
however, seems not to have known what fear is. The 
greater the danger, the higher rose his courage, the cooler 
grew his head. Once, when Congress promised him a 



16 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

ship, he said, " Give me a fast one, for-I intend to go in 
harm's way ! " And he always did. 

His plan was no less than this — to enter with his one 
little ship the harbor of Whitehaven, and barn all the 
English vessels anchored there ! 

At midnight, on April 22, 1778, he sailed into the har- 
bor. Two batteries and a fort guarded the town and ship- 
ping. The garrison were asleep, nor dreaming of danger. 

Gliding to the shore in row-boats — only a handful of 
men — the Americans scaled the batteries, seized the sleepy 
sentinel before he could give the least alarm, locked up all- 
the astonished soldiers in their barracks, and spiked the 
cannon. 

Then Jones left his lieutenant to fire the shipping, and 
he himself with only one man to aid him stole forward to 
capture the fort ! Not a soul was stirring on the rampart. 
Silently he spiked the cannon and silently stole away 
again. 

Back to the shore came the army of two. But no blaze 
of shipping greeted their eyes. Through cowardice, or a 
too tender heart, the lieutenant had failed in his duty. 

Jones was in a rage. Day was breaking now, and the 
town's folk were appearing. The whole bold enterprise 
seemed doomed to failure. 

No, it should not be a failure quite ! Kushing to a 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 17 

house near by, Jones seized a ])rand from the breakfast lire 
and climbed with it on board a schooner at the wharf. 
Calmly he sat down in the stern, and calmly he kindled a 
blaze. Then he hunted up a barrel of tar and poured it on 
the flames to make his work complete. 

The flames shot up the masts and rigging and their liaht 
mingled with that of the rising sun to shine on the aston- 
ished town. 

Down to the shore rushed the people by tens and dozens, 
surprised and sleepy. They made for the ship to swarm 
aboard and put out the fire. 

But what was this they saw? At the entrance to the 
burning ship stood facing them a little man, not over five 
and a half feet tall, a cocked pistol in his hand. "The 
first man to advance is a dead man," he said. They looked 
at his terribly determined face, then turned and fled like 
frightened sheep. 

Paul Jones had defeated them, one man against a thou- 
sand ! For a moment he stood there, watching with a 
smile the terrified citizens huddled together in the distance. 

Then he rowed calmly out to the Ranger and sailed 
away in the morning sunshine. 

The townspeople found two cannon that had not been 
spiked, and began to fire them. But the balls fell so 
wide of the mark that the crew of the Ranger mockingly 



18 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

answered with a single pistol, and the American ship was 
soon a speck of white on the open ocean. 

The expedition had failed, but it had given the people 
on the coast a terrible scare. This was still further 
increased the next day by Jones' landing near Kirkbright 
to capture the Earl of Selkirk. The Earl was an important 
man, and could have been exchanged for many of the 
American captives who were starving in English prisons. 
Luckily for the Earl he was not at home. 

The good people who dwelt nearby got a cannon down 
to the shore when night came to hide them, and blazed 
away for hours at the black form of the Ranger, dimly 
seen at anchor. 

When morning dawned, they peered forth to see what 
was left of the dark hull they had been peppering all night. 
The dark hull was all there. It was a big rock in the 
channel ! The Ranger was safe at sea. 

By this time the news of Jones' exploits had reached the 
English warship Drake, and out she came to teach the 
impertinent. Yankee a lesson. An American ship on the 
English coast ! The Drake would see about that ! 

The Drake carried two more guns than the Ranger, and 
had a large and better drilled crew. But that did not 
trouble Jones a bit. In fact he sailed to meet her as she 
came out of the harbor of Carrickfergus. 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 19 

- It was late in the day when the battle began. The level 
sunlight lay a golden floor across the water. On the 
hilltops round about signal fires were burning, and 
hundreds of people were gathered there to see the Yankee 
ship destroyed. 

^' What ship is that ? " shouted the captain of the Drake ^ 
as the two enemies drew near. 

" The American continental ship Ranger ! We are wait- 
ing for you — come on ! " Paul Jones replied, and hurled a 
broadside at the Drake. 

Then the fight began. Side by side the two ships floated 
while their cannon roared and thundered. A cloud of thick, 
white smoke arose, hiding the vessels from those on shore, 
save for the masts that rose above it, with the flags of Eng- 
land and America on their tops. 

The American gunners proved the better. Out of the 
smoke and roar came the crash of splintering timbers, 
as their cannon balls ripped through the Drake. Sail 
after sail came flapping down and trailed useless in 
the water. Then the proud old flag of England fell at 
length, and the Stars and Stripes were left alone above the 
smoke. 

Up in the rigging of the Ranger sat the topmen with 
their muskets, and shot down the p]nglish one by one. At 
last the British captain fell with a bullet in his head. That 



20 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

was enouo^h. The crew of the Drake threw down their 
arms and cried for quarter. 

For -an hour the fiirht had histed, and the sun was sinking 
now. By its farewell rays, as the smoke of battle floated 
oft\ the people on the hilltops saw the Dral^e a shattered 
hulk upon the water, and had they been nearer they might 
have counted the forty-two dead or wounded on her decks. 

The Banger, scarcely harmed, and with but two dead 
and six more Avounded, sailed oif to France in triumph 
with her prizes. 

HOW THE BRITISH WERE BEATEN. 

The next year brought troublesome times to Jones. 
Because France promised him a larger ship he gave up the 
Hanger. But the larger ship did not come. Again and 
again he was promised, but only to be disappointed. 

At last Benjamin Franklin, the United States minister 
to France, succeeded in getting him a vessel. In honor of 
Franklin, and Franklin's famous " Almanac,'' Jones named 
his new ship "The Bonhoiume Richard,''^* — the Poor 
Richard. 



* The French term Bonhomme Bkhard means literally Goodman 
Richard. We use Goodman to mean a poor man in English, in such 
expressions as Goodman Friday from Robinson Crusoe. And in New 
England before the Revolutionary War, the Voters or property holders, 
were called Freemen, the non-property-holders, Goodmen. 
• The following, from Spears' History of Our Navy, is a more detailed 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 21 

It was the " Poor Richard,''' indeed — an old merchant 
vessel, clumsy and rotten, with an old-fashioned stern as 
tall as a tower and a l>ow blunt " like an Erie canal-boat " ! 
The crew w^ere a mixture of all races, from American and 
French, to Portuguese and Malay. 

But Paul Jones was the captain. 

In the summer of 1779, Jones set sail from France in 
company w4th six other ships. Three of them deserted, 
however, and but one of the others was really loyal to 
him, as we shall -see. The trouble was that Jones had not 
been made chief of the fleet, but only of equal rank with 
each of the other captains. So, after all, he had to tight 
his battle out alone. An English naval officer once said, 
"We rely on bravery, not numbers." ' How truly it could 
have been said of Jones ! 

Again he was oft' the coast of Scotland, this time on the 
eastern side. Hearing of some English warships at Leith, 

statement of the relative strength of the two ships. " The Bonhomme 
Richard entered the fis^ht with forty-two gnns, which could throw 
557 pounds of projectiles at a discharge; the Serapis carried fifty, throw- 
ing 600 pounds. The crew of the American ship had been reduced to 304 
by the drafts made in manning prizes, and of these no more than 
one-third were Americans. The Serapis carried H20. chiefly picked men. 
The number of killed on eacli ship was forty-nine. The Serapis had six- 
ty-einht wounded and the Bonhomme Bkhard sixty-seven, among whom 
was John Paul Jones himself. He wa-s hit in the head and the wound 
afterwards seriously affected his eyes, but he said nothing about it in his 
report." 

It is interesting to note that the entire weight of metal throM'n by 
either the Bichard or Serapis from all their cannon at once was no more 
than the weight of a single projectile from the Oregon. 



22 JOHN PAUTi JONES. 

near Edinburgh, he resolved to seize them and the town of 
Leith, also. A rich man of the place, seeing the fleet 
draw near and thinking that they were English ships, sent 
out a boat with a request for ammunition to defend himself 
ai^ainst "The Pirate, Paul Jones." 

Jones sent back a keg of powder. He was sorry, he told 
the Avorthy Scotchman, that he had no suitable shot. 

Soon after he summoned the town to surrender. And 
then the good people of Leith knew who he was. 

Up and down the poor folk ran, frightened half out of 
their wits. But at Kirkcaldy, a little town near Leith, the 
pastor was equal to the danger. Down to the beach he 
rushed, plumped down in his armchair by the water, and 
began to pray. 

This is the pi'ayer he is said to have made. 

" Now, Lord, dinna ye think it is a shame for ye to send 
this vile piret to rob our folk o ' Kirkcaldy ? For ye ken 
they are puir enough already, and hae naething to spare. 
They are all fairly guid, and it wad be a pity to serve them 
in sic a wa'. The wa ' the wind blaws, he'll be here in a 
jifty, and wha kens what he may do ? He is nane too guid 
for onything. Meickle's the mischief he has done already. 
Ony pocket gear they hae gathered togither, he will gary 
wi' the whole o't, and may be burn their houses, tak' 
their cla'es, and strip them to their sarks ! And wae ' s 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 23 

me ! Who knows but the bhiidy villian may tak ' their 
lives ? The puir women are maist frightened out o ' their 
wits, and the bairns shrieking after them. I canna tho 't 
it ! I canna tho 't it ! lime been long a faithful servant to 
ye, Lord; but gin ye dinna turn the wind about, and blaw 
the scoundrel out o ' our gate, I'll nae stir a foot, but just 
sit here until the tide comes in and drowns me. Sae tak' 
your wull o ' f, Lord/ " 

No sooner had he finished praying than a sudden gale 
sprang up, common on the Scottish coast, and drove the 
"Vile Piret" out to sea. 

" It was the prayer that did it," cried the people in their 

But the good parson would not take all the credit. " 1 
prayed, but the Lord sent the wind," said he. 

Jones now cruised up and down the English coast, cap- 
turing prizes and spreading terror. He did not again try, 
however, to enter Leith harbor. 

On September 23, 1779, while off Scarborough with the 
Pallas^ Alliance, and Venyeance, Jones sighted a big fleet 
of merchant ships under the convoy of two English men- 
of-war. 

The cargo boats fled for shelter like a flock of startled 
birds, while the warships got between them and Jones, and 
advanced to the conflict. 



24 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

The English proved to be the Sey^apis and the Scarbor- 
ough. The Pallas engaged the Scarborough^ while Landais, 
the captain of the Alliance, cowardly got out of the way 
and left Paul Jones, with the old Richard, to light the 
Serapis single-handed. The Vengeance was too far away 
to join in the light. 

The Serapis was new and swift, the Richard was old 
and slow. The Serapis had twenty eighteen pounders, the 
Richard had but six. The Sei^apis had a well drilled crew 
to work her, the Richard a motley array from every 
nation. The Serapis had a brave captain. But the 
Richard had a braver. 

The breeze was light, the sea was like a polished floor. 
On Flamborough Head, on the wharves of Scarl)orough, 
the awe-struck people crowded to watch the coming battle. 

It was evening before the vessels met. But the full 
moon, rising out of the ocean, gave them light. Its misty 
rays fell in silver on their sails, as they floated over the 
gleaming waters, and transformed them into phantom ships. 
On the hilltops the j^eople held their breaths. A battle of 
ghosts it seemed. 

The two chief enemies drew near. "What ship is that?" 
cried Captain Pearson of the Serapis. 

" Come a little nearer and I will tell you ! " was Jones's 
reply. 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 25 

'' What are you laden with ? " 

" Round grape and doubled-headed shot ! " came back the 
answer from the liidiavd. And those on shore saw red 
spits of flame burst from the side of the Yankee and heard 
the thunder of her cannon roll across the water. 

From the Serapis came an answering broadside, and the 
battle was begun. 

But for Jones it was a bad l^eo^innino^. At the first fire 
two of his six eighteen pounders exploded, killing the gun- 
ners and wrecking the gun room. Thus the Richard was 
left without a single heavy cannon to defend her lower 
deck, while the Serapis had twenty, all of them below, 
whence they could send their shot into the Richard's 
defenceless hull. 

But Jones only worked his deck guns the faster. Side 
by side the two ships drifted, now the Richard across the 
bows of the Serapis^ now the Serapis across those of the 
Richard, while broadside after broadside tore through hull 
and rigging. Those on shore saw only a cloud of smoke 
in the moonlight, rent and torn by darts of flame and 
shaken by the roar of half a hundred cannon. 

Now the ships got caught together, and the Americans 
tried to board the Serapis. They were driven back, and 
Captain Pearson shouted to Jones, "Has your ship 
struck?" 



JOHN PAUL JONES. 27 

" I have not yet begun to tight ! " came back the daunt- 
less answer. 

Again the two ships broke apart, and again the cannon 
bellowed. 

But Jones saw this would never do. The Serapis could 
outsail him, and 1)y keeping- always in the better position, 
could smash him into kindling wood. So he ran the Rich- 
ard square alongside the enemy, and with his own hands 
helped to tie the two ships fast together. Then an anchor 
on the Serapis caught in the side of the Richard, and like 
fiery monsters the two ships fought, fast locked in each 
other's arms. 

Again they opened fire with terrible effect. So close 
w^ere they that the guns touched muzzles. To load, the 
gunners thrust their ramrods into the port-holes of the other 
ship. The men at the different cannon had fierce races 
to see who could load the quicker, and woe to the side 
that lost ! The next minute they were blown to pieces. 

Now the heavy eighteen pounders on the Serapis did 
frightful havoc. They crashed their shots into the Rich- 
ard\^ rotten timbers, till the balls Avent clear through and 
dropped into the sea on the other side. They tore 
holes low down, the water poured in. They drove the 
crew to the upper deck. They silenced every battery 
but one. 



28 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

But at that one fought Jones himself. Three cannon 
left, he still fought on, his face fierce and black with pow- 
der. If his ship w^ent down, he would go dow^n with her ! 

He loaded his guns w^ith grape and canister and swept 
the enemy's upper deck. So fast he fired them and so hot 
they grew, that they bounded like mad things on the 
deck. 

In the RicharcVs rigging swarmed the sailors with rifles 
and hand grenades, and soon Jones had driven the enemy 
all below. Thus above were the Americans victorious, 
while below the English rent the Richard at every broad- 
side. Over the decks of either ship ran streams of blood 
that trickled off into the sea. 

To add to Jones' desperate plight, the Alliance now 
came up, having seen the little Scarborough surrender to 
the Pallas ; but instead of aiding the hard-pressed Richard, 
she poured her broadside into the devoted ship ! It was 
fearful treachery, but the Americans could only groan. 

Still Jones would not surrender. 

It was almost ten o'clock. The smoke of battle had 
almost shut out the moon, and the two crews fought b}^ the 
light of the cannon, and of the burning ships, for both w^ere 
again and again on fire — The Serapis at least ten times. 
Again and again the battle lulled while both sides fought 
the flames. 



JOHN TAUL JONES. 29 

And now a daring sailor on the Richard turned the tide 
of battle. Crawling out on a yard with a pail of hand- 
grenades, he climbed into the rigging of the Serajns and 
began to drop the bombs among the English crew. One 
of them fell through the hatchway to the lower deck and, 
hitting a train of cartridges laid ready there, caused a 
terrific explosion. Arms and legs went skyward in a 
spout of yellow fire ; charred bodies fell back on the deck. 
Sixty men were killed or wounded and many guns 
disabled. 

With redoubled energy Jones worked his three light 
cannon. 

It was quite ten now, and the Bonhomme Richard was 
filling with water; the head gunner, w^ounded and terrified, 
thous^ht she was sinkino^. Back on the deck he rushed to 
haul down the flag, but found it shot away. " Quarter," 
he began to shout, " for God's sake, quarter ! Our ship is 
sinking ! " 

Jones heard him and whirled around with blazing eyes. 
The smoking pistol he himself had just shot ofl', he hurled 
straight at the head of the coward gunner and tumbled him 
down the hatchway. 

"Do you call for quarter?" yelled Captain Pearson 
through the smoke and uproar. 

"No," thundered Jones, with an oath. Then at the head 



30 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

of his men, he drove back the boarders from the Serapis 
the instant they touched the rail. 

Now the master-of-arms of the Richard^ hearing the cry 
that the ship was sinking, let loose from the hold over a 
hundred English prisoners. 

"The situation of Jones, at this moment, Avas indeed 
hopeless beyond anything that is recorded in the annals of 
naval warfare. In a sinking ship with a battery silenced 
everywhere except where he himself fought, more than a 
l^undred prisoners at large in his ship, his consort, i\iQ Alli- 
ance, sailing around and raking him deliberately, his supe- 
rior officers counselling surrender, whilst the inferior ones 
were setting up disheartening cries of fire and sinking, and 
calling loudly for quarter ; the chieftain still stood undis- 
mayed." 

He sent the frightened prisoners to the pumps, and told 
them if they did not work, he would take them to the bot- 
tom with him. With his three light cannon loaded with 
double headed shot, he hammered away at the main mast 
of the Serapis, now wreathed in flames. 

Such dogged courage, such terrible resistance was too 
much even for an English crew. Worn out and disheart- 
ened, terror-struck by the awful explosion caused by the 
active Yankee sailor who had climbed their mast, — the fire 
of the Serapis slowly slackened, and at half past ten she 



JOHN PAUL JONES. ^ 31 

surrendered. Captain Pearson himself pulled down the 
colors. No other man dared show his head on the shot- 
swept deck. 

So the terrible battle ended. For three hours and a half 
it had lasted ; on the deck of either ship one half of the 
crew lay dead or w^ounded ! 

As the two ships wefe cut apart, the main mast of the 
Serapis crashed overboard, and on both ships the flames 
burst up anew. 

When morning broke over the waters, the awful state 
of the Richard was fully seen. She was burning and 
sinking, with her rudder shot away and both her sides so 
shattered that only a post or two were left to hold in place 
her bloody deck. She was a mute and terrible witness to 
the frightfulness of the battle and the undying courage of 
her captain. 

All that day Jones tried to save her, but in vain. He 
removed the w^ounded in safety. But the dead he left on 
the ship wdiich they had died defending. The following 
morning, from the deck of the captured Serapts, he 
watched their solemn burial. 

Wind and sea were rising. As the weaves rolled up and 
crashed through the Richard' f^ shattered sides, the old ship 
reeled and staggered. Slowly her bows sank deeper and 
deeper, until, with a final lurch, she plunged head fore- 



32 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

most down and was swallowed in the water. There was a 
whirling hole in the sea for a moment. Then the waves 
leaped up to fill it, and nothing was visible save the eternal 
ocean, ceaselessly tossing, tossing. 

DEATH OF PAUL JONES. 

With his victory over the Serajns^ Jones' active fighting 
for America ended. Later in the year he escaped in the 
Alliance from the Dutch harbor of Texel, where a whole 
British squadron was blockading him, and dodged safely 
through the English Channel, with his flag defiantly stream- 
ing under the very nose of England. 

The next year found him in Paris, trying in vain to get 
a ship. But honor he found in plenty. Every one hailed 
him as a hero. The women made him their social lion. 
The French king gave him a jewelled sword and the 
cross of nnlitary merit. , 

Captain Pearson of the Serapis was also honored b}^ the 
English king for his brave defence : he was made a knight. 
"If ever I catch him at sea again, I'll make a lord of him," 
said Jones when he heard the news. 

Paul Jones was at length ordered back to America. 
That he ever reached again the United States was almost a 
miracle. During two days and three nights his ship rode 



JONN PAUL JONES. 33 

out a terrific gale just otl' the rocks of France, with every 
mast blown ])y the hoard, and his ship held only by a 
single anchor from dashing on to destruction. The ship 
returned to port for re))airs, and at length brought Jones 
safely back to America. 

Peace was declared before Jones could see any further 
fighting. He found himself, as in France, everywhere 
hailed a hero ; and by Congress he was voted a gold 
medal for his services. But his restless nature would 
not let him enjoy in peace the honors he had won. Soon 
he was back again in Europe, in the employ of the Russian 
navy. 

It was winter when he set out for St. Petersburg, and 
the Gulf of Bothnia was so full of ice that he could not 
cross. Jones, however, was too impatient to wait for 
spring. Hiring an open boat, no more than thirty feet in 
length, he started out to sail around the ice to the south- 
ward, over the stormy, o})en Baltic. 

No boatmen would have knowingly gone with him, so he 
kept his desperate plan a secret until they w^ere well out at 
sea. Then, drawing his pistols, he told the men to steer 
for St. Petersburg. 

They looked at him, then at the wintry sea, then back at 
the pistols — and obeyed I 

To the amazement of everyone, Jones reached port in 



34 JOHN PAUL JONES. 

safety. He fought bravely in the Russian service for a 
time, then quarreled with his employers and drifted away 
to Paris. His last act was in behalf of America — an effort 
to exchange the American prisoners in Algiers, then the 
stronghold of the Mediterranean pirates. He did not live 
to see his object gained. 

On the evening of July 18, 1792, he made his will — a 
will where he described himself simply as "John Paul 
Jones, a citizen of the United States" — and bade his 
friends goodnight. His doctor, coming soon after, found 
him dead upon the bed. 

More than a hundred years have passed since then, but 
his fame is still undimmed. 

As we look back upon him now, we do not call to mind 
his faults, though he may have been vain and often selfish, 
as we are told. We see neither the look of thoughtful ness 
so usual on his face, nor the small, though active figure. 
We do not even remember the land where he was born. 

We see only a smoke-blackened, dauntless chieftain, amid 
crashing hulls and falling rigging, working his three lone 
cannon to the death. We see only the " Conquer or Die ! " 
in those flashing eyes and tight-locked mouth. We know 
him for the first great hero of the American navy, 
John Paul Jones, 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY 



BY 



HELEN L. CAMPBELL 



37 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY, 



"In life he was the subject of the admiration of his 
country, — in his death of its sorrow." 

To the high-minded, honorable patriot, strong in his 
loyalty and unfaltering in his devotion to his native land, 
the respect and admiration of his countrymen is the highest 
reward he can receive, and such are the rewards our 
country bestows upon its heroes. 

During life they are admired, praised and sometimes, 
perhaps, flattered, but always honestly loved and respected ; 
when death claims them this homage is changed to a rever- 
ence and veneration for their memory, Avhich time itself 
can not destroy, while the record of their bravery and dar- 
inor thrills the hearts of the o^enerations who come after 
them. 

THE PERRYS. 

Away back in the seventeenth century, Edmund Perry, 

a Welshman and a Quaker, being persecuted in England 

for his religion, resolved to leave his native land and 

emigrate to America, that new, free country where so 

many homeless wanderers had found a resting place, and 

39 



40 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

where he hoped to enjoy the peace and quiet so dear to the 
Quakers. 

He had heard the story of the Pilgrmis, who, thirty 
years before, had, for the sake of "Freedom to worship 
God," braved the dangers of an ocean voyage and the perils 
and sufferings of life in a new, uncivilized world. " Surely," 
he thought, ''among such a brave, noble peoi)le, w^ho were 
themselves beaten, imprisoned and driven from their homes, 
as I have been, I shall find a i)lace where I can live in peace 
and safety." 

So, in 1650, he sailed from England and after a long, 
tedious voyage, landed at Plymouth. But he did not 
remain there long. The people of Plymouth who, a few 
years before, had been cruelly driven from their own 
homes because of their religion, now objected to all who 
did not believe as they did, and drove them out into the 
wilderness to find other homes. 

It seems strange to us now, that the very men who had 
so recently risked their lives to find religious freedom on 
another continent should find it necessary to ])egin that 
new life with the same severe restrictions from which they 
had just fled. But we must remember that these early 
settlers were surrounded by many dangers ])oth at home 
and abroad — even to the possibility of losing their liberties 
they had so dearly obtained — that they felt compelled to 
stop all dissensions among themselves. 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 41 

Only a few years before Edmund Perry came to America, 
young Roger Williams, a minister of Salem, had declared 
that all men had a right to their own religious belief, and 
also that the King of England had no right to give land in 
America to his subjects until the Indians had been paid for 
it, that the people were really living upon lands belonging 
to the Indians. 

These assertions raised a storm about Roger Williams, 
for they were dangerous doctrines in those days and might 
bring trouble on the colony. Accordingly he was accused 
of heresy in religion and treason against the King, and at 
last condemned to banishment from the colony. In the 
middle of winter he was driven from his home, an exile 
in the desolate forest. For fourteen weeks he wandered 
on through the deep Xew England snows in the depths 
of the wilderness, living on acorns, roots and sometimes 
a little parched corn given him by friendly Indians and 
sleeping at night on the ground or in a hollow tree. At 
length Canonicus, Chief of the Narragansetts, took him 
into his wigwam, cared for him kindly, and in June of 
1636 sold him a large tract of land, which became the 
Province of Rhode Island. 

To this Province went Edmund Perry, feeling sure that 
he had at last found a place where even a Quaker might be 
allowed to dwell in })eace. He purchased a large tract of 
land on the shore of the beautiful Narragansett Bay, near 



42 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

what is now South Kingston, find there made a home in 
the New World for himself and liis descendants. 

Here, in the old homestead, more than one hundred 
years afterward, Christopher Raymond Perry was born. 
He was a brave lad, and indeed, all boys were brave in 
those pioneer days, for there was no room for cowards in 
such perilous times. 

Trouble had begun between the Colonies and England 
before Christopher was born, and when he was but fifteen 
years old the Revolutionary War broke out. He could be 
a boy no longer for his country needed men, and bravely 
shouldering his musket, he enlisted in the "Kingston Reds " 
and marched away to war. Afterward he joined the navy 
and served there until the close of the war in 1783. 

The life of a sailor was what he liked best, and when the 
war ended and he was no longer needed in the navy, he 
obtained a position as mate of a merchant ship and went 
on a cruise to Scotland. 

Among the passengers of his ship on her homeward voy- 
age was a bonny Scotch lass, named Sarah Wallace Alex- 
ander, a direct descendant of the William Wallace so 
famous in Scottish history. The young mate soon made 
the acquaintance of his pretty passenger, and after they 
reached America he sometimes went to Philadelphia, where 
she was living with relatives, to visit her. But that was a 
long distance to go in those days, when there were no rail- 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 43 

roads nor steamboats ; so, in 1784, Sarah Alexander became 
Mrs. Christopher Perry, arid went with her hus])and to live 
at the old Perry homestead at South Kingston. 

Here, from the windows upon one side, she could see the 
bright, sparkling waters of the hay, and on the other, the 
Strove of old forest trees, throuo:h whose o:reen boug^hs 
shone the simple white stones marking the graves of the 
gentle old Quaker and his descendants. There, in the 
same old home, on the 23d of August, 1785, their first 
baby boy, Oliver Hazard Perry, was borii. 

PERRY'S BOYHOOD. 

Little Oliver was a large, strong baby, handsome and 
bright as any baby could be, and it is said that he was a 
brave little fellow, fearing no one. There is a story told 
of his childhood which illustrates this trait. AYhen only 
three years old he was one day sitting in the road near his 
grandfather's house, playing in the sand with an older cousin, 
when a man on horseback came I'iding swiftly toward them. 
The little cousin sprang up crying : "Run, Oliver, run, the 
man will ride over you !" but the child sat quite still, let- 
tinof the sand sift throusfh his chu])by fino^ers, and watchinof 
the horseman riding toward him. At last, when nearly 
upon the little fellow, the rider saw the child sitting there 
and stopped his horse close beside him. Looking up into 
the rider's face with perfect confidence and friendliness, 



44 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



Oliver said: "Man, you will not ride over nie, will you?" 
Springing from his horse, the gentleman picked up the 
fearless baby, carried him into the house, and told his 
mother how brave her boy had been. 

His mother taught him to read almost as soon as he 
could talk plainly ; but when he was five years old she sent 
him to school, for there were now two younger children to 
kee}) her busy. Olivers school-days were very diiferent 
from those of little boys to-day. There were no kinder- 
gartens, with pretty games and merry songs to amuse the 
wee ones, and no bright school-rooms with i)leasant, cheer- 
ful teachers, trying to make every lesson interesting. 

Oliver Perry's first school was taught by an old man, 
who was very kind to the children, but who must have 
been extremely weak, for it is said that he refused to teach 
unless he was allowed to have a couch in the school-room 
wdiere he could lie down, and hear the children recite their 
lessons as they stood about him. 

Some little girl-cousins lived on the farm joining Olivers 
home and the children went to school together. The girls 
were older than Oliver, l)ut he was such a polite, dignified 
little man that he thought it his duty to go to and from 
school with them every day, and protect them from all 
possible harm. 

As soon as they were old enough to walk a long distance, 
Oliver and his cousins were sent to another school about 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 



4.') 



tour miles away, and the children went every day, taking 
their dinner with them and enjoying the long walk over 
the hills and through the forest. 

This teacher was also an old, old man, so old that 
Olivers grandfather had once attended his school. 

Not long after, Mr. Perry moved his family from 
South Kingston to Newport, where the children could 
attend better schools. This was a orreat chano^e for the 
l)oy who was now seven years old. The new teacher was 
very strict and very quick-tempered and Oliver, who had 
l)een accustomed to the easy, country school discipline, did 
not like him very well. 

One day the teacher became angry with the boy and 
struck him over the head, breaking his ruler in pieces. 
Oliver said nothing, but quietly picked up his books, took 
down his cap, and walked home and told his mother a]x)ut 
it, saying he would never go back to school. His mother 
said nothino^ then, ])ut the next mornino^ she orave him a 
letter and told him to take his books, go back to the 
school-house and give that letter to his teacher. 

This was a hard thing for the i)roud little fellow to do, 
for he felt that he had been unjustly punished. But he never 
thought of disobeying his mother, and with tears in his eyes 
and his heart beating very rebelliously, he started at 
once. 

The letter Mrs. Perry sent the teacher was very kind 



46 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

and polite ; but she said in it that she would trust her little 
boy to his care once more, and hoped she should have no 
cause to regret it. Perhaps this made the teacher more 
patient, for afterwards he and Oliver became the best of 
friends, often taking long. walks along the seashore, and 
down by the wharves where the ships lay at anchor. 

Oliver loved the sea, and no study interested him so 
much as that of navigation and the uses of nautical 
instruments. He was even then fitting himself for the 
honorable position he was to hold and the brave deeds he 
was to do in later years, although he was too busy and 
happy to think very much about what future years might 
bring. 

Still, the poet Longfellow tells us (and poets are sup- 
posed to know a great many strange things) that, ''A 
boy's will is the wind's will ; and the thoughts of youth are 
long, long, thoughts." So it may be that this twelve-year- 
old boy had many dreams that he never told to any one, 
and "his long, long thoughts" went out over the coming 
years, while he built air-castles of the time when he would 
be a sailor on the great ocean, or a captain commanding a 
staunch ship of his own. 

Captain Christopher Perry had made several very suc- 
cessful voyages and accumulated a comfortable fortune, so, 
when Oliver was twelve years old, he ceased following the 
sea, moved his family to the little village of Westerly, in 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 47 

the south-western ])ait of Rhode Island, and prepared to 
spend the rest of his days on shore. This, however, he 
was not allowed to do. 

At this time the United States had no navy. The few 
ships used during the Revolutionary War had been sold to 
foreign nations. Our country was at peace with the world, 
the great ocean lay between us and the European powers, 
and knowing the Yankee ability to prepare quickly for any 
emergency, we felt perfectly safe without a navy. 

But, in 1798, trouble between the United States and 
France arose. France and England had long been at w^ar 
with each other, and the French, fearing to lose their 
possessions in America, were anxious for this government 
to join with them and drive the English from the western 
continent. This, however, our country refused to do, and 
finding that they could not persuade us, they resorted to 
harsher measures. French ships were accordingly sent 
out, with orders to capture all American merchant vessels 
sailing to foreign ports. France knew the state of our 
navy, and thought we could not retaliate. 

But she did not understand the strength, resources and 
patriotism of the American nation. The whole country 
was roused to action. President Adams, who had long 
been urging the necessity of establishing a navy, at once 
went to work. Six new frigates were ordered built, and 
Captain Christopher Perry was sent to the town of Warren 



48 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

to superintend the building of one of the frigates, and to 
take command of it as soon as it was finished. 

Captain Perry and his wife went at once to Warren, 
leaving young Oliver, then not quite thirteen, at home to 
take care of the family. He was a very large boy, nearly 
a man in size, and he must have been very thoughtful and 
trustworthy, or his parents would not have left him to take 
care of the ^^ounger children. 

But the boy was not contented at home. All his life he 
had spent beside the sea. The rippling of the water upon 
the sandy beach, as the tide ebbed and flowed, the thunder- 
ing of the great, foam-capped waves when wind and storm 
drove them in upon the coast, had been his cradle-songs. 
The wide ocean in its storm and darkness, or its dancing, 
sunlit beauty, with white-sailed ships floating over it and 
strong-winged sea birds dipping in its cool green waters, 
had been his only picture book. Its sands and pebbles, 
its shells and little shining pools, its waves splashing 
over his bare feet, had been his dearest playmates. Was 
it any wonder, then, that the ])oy's heart turned to the sea, 
and he longed to follow his father's example? 

Then, too, he was brave and patriotic. His mother 
had told him many stories of long ago, of battles fought 
and victories won in her native land, when her ancestor, 
William Wallace, had driven the English from Scotland 
and liberated his country, and young as he was, Oliver, 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 49 

too, longed to defend his country and drive away her 
enemies. 

So one day he wrote a k)ng letter to his father, asking 
him for permission to enter the navy, and telling all his 
reasons for wishing to do so. His father was pleased with 
the boy's choice and very proud of so brave a son, and 
soon o1)tained an official warrant from the Secretary of the 
Navy, appointing young Oliver a midshipman in the 
United States Navy, on ])oard his father's new frigate, the 
General Greene. 

MIDSHIPMAN PERRY. 

Preparations for war went on rapidly. The new ships 
were completed and equipped as fast as possible, a large 
army Avas organized, and George Washington, now an old 
man nearly sixty-seven, w^as once more called to take com- 
mand of the armies of his country, and responded with all 
the courage and energy of his earlier years. 

In February, 1799, one new ship, the Constitution (the 
world famous Old Ironsides)^ started on her trial trip, 
and captured a French frigate of equal size. Soon after- 
wards the General Greene was finished and ordered to sail 
to the West Indies. The United States carried on a larsfe 

o 

trade with these islands and great cargoes of fruit, coffee, 
and spices were brought to our seaport towns by merchant 
vessels. The General Greene was ordered to protect these 



50 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

ships from the French frigates, to act as a "Sentinel of the 
sea," a sort of body-guard to the merchant fleets. This 
was the first voyage made hy the young midshipman, and 
from his father he learned many a lesson in nautical skill 
and honor, and was taught both by his example and pre- 
cepts to meet bravely the perils and hardships of a sea- 
faring life. 

In July, 1799, yellow fever broke out on board the 
General Greene, and Captain Perry was ordered home with 
his ship to remain until the crew recovered. 

How pleased Oliver's mother must have been to see her 
husband and son safe at home again, and how proud the 
younger brothers and sisters were of the tall, military 
lookins: lad, in his bright uniform. No doubt all the 
nei<rhborino^ children came in to admire him and to listen 
to the Avonderful stories he could tell of the far oft' islands 
he had visited, and the adventures he had met with. 

One story he delighted to tell them was of their father's 
promptness and courage. While the General Greene was 
conducting a merchant ship from Xew Orleans to Havana, a 
British frigate of 74 guns came up with them and, without 
a word of warning, fired a shot at the merchantman, expect- 
ing to stop her. But neither the merchantman nor the 
General Greene paid any attention to this. The frigate 
then sent out a l)oat with men to board the merchantman 
and examine her cargo. When they had nearly reached 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 51 

the ship, the General Greene sent a cannon ball so near 
the boat that it immediately came alongside his ship ; for 
at sea a cannon l)all was considered a strong invitation to 
stop right where you were. 

When the commander of the great frigate saw his boat 
stopped in this manner, he drew nearer and hailed Captain 
Perry, asking why he had fired on the boat. "To prevent 
her boarding the merchantman which is under my protec- 
tion, " answered Captain Perry. 

''It is ver}^ surprising," said the British captain, "if a 
Britisli ' 74 pounder ' cannot examine a common merchant 
brig ! " 

"If she was a first class battleship, she should not do it 
to the dishonor of my flag," answered Captain Perry. 

The captain of the frigate then very i)olitely asked Cap- 
tain Perry if he would give him permission to examine the 
merchantman. "Certainly," answered Captain Perry, "but 
I can assure you, you will find nothing wrong in her cargo." 

From such examples of spirit, bravery, and prompt 
action the young midshipman learned his first lessons in 
naval honor. 

While the General Greene was guarding the merchant 
ships, the famous Constitution won many victories, and 
once captured a French frigate carrying sixteen more guns 
than herself. The French became discouraged. If the 
Americans, who were wholly without a navy when they 



52 OLIVEU HAZARD PERRY. 

commenced their (lei)re(lations, could, in so short a time, 
build and equip battleships su[)erior to hers, what would 
the consequences l)e if war were really declared? France 
feared the spirit she had roused in the American people, and 
began talking of peace and of treaties of c^ommerce. The 
United States had no desire to carry on a war with France, if 
that country would ^*keep the peace," and, in Ma}^ of 1800, 
a treaty Avas concluded, and the threatened war averted. 
The General Greene returned to Newport, and as the 
government decided to dispose of most of its naval force, 
many officers were discharged, among them Captain Perry, 
but his son Oliver was retained as a midshipman in the 
service. 

LIEUTENANT PERRY. 

Looking at the map of Africa we iind four small states, 
Morocco, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, bordering on the 
southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. These are 
called the Baibary States, and for more than four hundred 
years they had been known as the home of pirates and 
sea-robbers of the boldest, wickedest type. They really 
merited the title of "Barbarous States," which was some- 
times applied to them, and every European nation feared 
them, and, instead of resisting their demands, paid great 
sums of money as tribute, and gave them costly bribes to 
induce them not to molest ships on the high seas and to 
restore the prisoners they captured. 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 53 

The United States began to treat with them in this way 
also, l)at after making them many })resents, the American 
Consul at Tripoli was peremptorily ordered away unless the 
United States would give them another heavy tribute 
within six months. "Uncle Sam " was not accustomed to 
being told what he jnust do, and when the Bashaw of Tripoli 
added that if his demand was not complied with, he would 
declare war at once, the government replied l)y sending a 
fleet of four good ships to blockade the ports of Tripoli. 
On one of these vessels, the Adams, with Captain Campbell 
commanding, went midshi[)man Perry. 

They reached the Mediterranean in August, 1802, and 
on the 2;3d of that month, his seventeenth birthday, Oliver 
Hazard Perry received a lieutenant's commission as a 
birthday present, making him the youngest lieutenant 
who ever served in the United States navy. 

For over a year the little squadron cruised about the 
Mediterranean, and, though no great l)attles were fought, 
no great victories won, the American fleet did good service. 
It protected trading vessels, cleared the sea of pirate flags, 
drove the Tripolitan cruisers into their own ports and 
blockaded Tripoli. It was a good school for the young 
officer. The Adcmis put in at ports of France, Spain, and 
Italy, and Captain Cam[)bell, who was very much attached 
to his boy lieutenant, often allowed him to go on shore. 
He made good use of these opportunities, gained a knowl- 



54 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

edge of foreign countries, and learned much about conduct- 
ing and commanding a ship. In the autumn of 1803, the 
Adams was ordered home, and in November Lieutenant 
Perry reached his home at Newport, where he remained 
until July of 1804. 

He spent his time in studying mathematics and astronomy, 
and enjoying the society of Newport. He was a handsome 
young fellow, tall and graceful, with pleasant manners and 
a most musical voice, which, joined with his ability to play 
the flute, made him always welcome among the young 
people, who greatly admired the handsome lieutenant. 

All this time the war in the Mediterranean was going on. 
Commodore Preble had won many victories ; Stephen 
Decatur, then a young lieutenant, had accomplished one 
of the most daring feats of the war, the burning of the 
Philadelphia after it had been captured by the the Tripoli- 
tans ; Richard Somers, the brave young captain, had found 
a grave beneath the waters of the Mediterranean in the fire- 
ship Intrepid^ with which he had intended to destroy the 
enemy's fleet. All these things reached the ears of Lieu- 
tenant Perry, and made him anxious to return to duty. 

At last the order for wdiich he was longing came ; he was 
commanded to go on board the Constellation and sail at once 
to Tripoli. This made the American fleet in the Mediter- 
ranean so large that the Bashaw gladly consented to sign a 
treaty and release all his prisoners for a small ransom. 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 55 

The ConsteUalhn, therefore, did not reach Tripoli until the 
war was practically ended, but the fleet remained in the 
Mediterranean several months, and Lieutenant Perry w^as 
placed in command of the schooner J^aulilus, where the 
work he did was highly commended. 

France and England were still at war, and each nation 
had forbidden any other country sending ships to its oppo- 
nent's ports. Not content with this, England claimed the 
right to search American vessels for deserters from her 
navy. To avoid trouble and war, if possible. Congress 
passed a law, called the "Embargo Act," by which no ship 
w^as allowed to sail from a United States port to a foreign 
country. 

To enforce this law it was necessary to watch every sea- 
port, and Lieutenant Perry was ordered to superintend the 
building of a fleet of gunboats, with which he was to patrol 
Long Island sound. He was also to prepare a map of the 
harbors of that localit}' for the government. For this work 
he was given a small schooner, the Revenge, but while 
cruising ahing the coast a dense fog arose, the pilot lost 
his way, and the Revenge struck a rocky reef and went to 
pieces. It was impossible to save the schooner, but Lieut- 
enant Perry's })resence of mind enabled him to save his 
crew, and almost every article on ])oard of any value. 

He went at once to Washington and reported the loss to 
the Navy Department, which exonerated him from all 



56 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

blame, praised his courage and good judgment, and granted 
him a year's leave of absence. This he improved by visit- 
ing Newport, where, on May 8, 1812, he was married to 
Miss Elizabeth Mason. 

The Embargo Act, however necessary it may have seemed 
at the time, proved more harmful to America than to her 
foes. The New Eno^land States, which had the lars^est 
shipping interests, threatened secession, and Congress 
repealed the act and passed, instead, a non-intercourse 
law, allowing vessels to trade with all countries except 
France and England. Later, this law was repealed in favor 
of France, but continued in force against Great Britain. 
England was still sore over her defeat in the Revolution, 
and the non-intercourse law annoyed her still more. 

In May, 1811, one of her ships fired on an American 
vessel, which immediately answered with a broadside, which 
she kept up until the English ship was disabled. The 
United States had tried in all honorable ways to avoid war 
with England, but now saw plainly that this could not be 
done, and on June 18, 1812, war against Great Britain was 
formally declared. 

European nations were astonished. The}' predicted the 
complete annihilation of the United States, and at the very 
least it was believed the American flag would l^e swept from 
the seas. The United States had no navy — not over 
twenty vessels, all told — and some of these w^ere so old 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 57 

and decayed as to l)e useless. England had over one 
thousand battleships, eighty-tive of which were stationed 
along the American coast. They called themselves " Lords 
of the ocean, and mistress of the seas." " Brittania rules 
the wave," saqg her seamen : 

"The wind and seas are Britain's wide domain, 
And not a sail l)ut l)y permission spreads." 

What wonder that all Europe was astounded at the reck- 
less 1)ravery of the young republic ! But when the war 
of 1812 was ended, England had learned a wholesome 
lesson. 

Ever since the Revolution, Enghmd had been trying to 
obtain control of the Great Lakes and the Mississipi River, 
and thus gain possession of the great West. They had 
many forts and trading posts along the Lakes, and had a 
strong influence over all the Indians of the Northwest Ter- 
ritory. During the French and P^nglish war, P]ngland had 
blamed the French most severely ibr making allies of the 
Indians, knowing their ferocious nature, and their custom 
of torturing and murdering all who fell into their hands. 
But as soon as war was declared against the United States, 
all the tribes under the influence of the English " raised the 
tomahawk " against the Americans. 

It was soon seen that the Enirlish must ])e driven back 



58 OLIVER HAZARD FERRY. 

into Canada, and the Indians not allowed to cross the 
frontier, or all the American settlements in the north^yest 
would be destroyed and the settlers murdered. 

Accordingly, General William Hull, Governor of Michi- 
gan Territory, was placed in command of a small army, 
with orders to invade Canada. On Jul}^ 12, 1812, he 
crossed the Detroit with the purpose of capturing Fort 
Maiden, but having heard that the American post at 
Mackinaw had been surprised and captured by the British, 
he made this an excuse for retreating across the river to 
Detroit. 

Meanwhile the British had not been idle. General Brock, 
Governor of Upper Canada, commanding the British troops, 
aided by C^hief Tecumseh and his Indian warriors, on the 
17th of August, advanced against Detroit. The American 
soldiers were eager for ])attle, and stood in the trenches 
waiting the order to tire, when, to the amazement of both 
armies. General Hull raised the white Hag and surrendered. 

Humiliating as this surrender on land was, the victories 
ui)on the sea more than c()m})ensated for it. In one 
year two hundred and fifty British ships, with their sailors 
and cargoes, had been captured by American cruisers. 
France looked on well })leased, seeing the fultillment of 
Napoleon's prophecy, when, at the cession of Louisiana, he 
exclaimed : " There ! I have this da}^ given to England a 
maritime rival that will sooner or later humble her pride." 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 59 

The English themselves were greatly concerned. Some 
British newspapers declared the " time-honored " flag of 
England had been disgraced " by a piece of striped l)unt- 
ing, flying at the mast-heads of a few lir-built vessels, 
manned by a handful of outlaws." 

MASTER-COMMANDANT PERRY. 

In February, 1813, Lieutenant Perry "was appointed 
Master Commandant and ordered to Lake Erie, to superin- 
tend the building and litting out of a fleet, and to take 
command of that Lake. He acted promptly, sending ship- 
carpenters and mechanics on ahead, and giving orders for 
the necessary provisions, guns, ammunition and rigging to 
be sent on as fast as possible. On February ^^^ he bade 
his young wife good-])y and, with his younger brother 
Alexander, then only thirteen years old, began his journey 
to the Great Lakes. 

They travelled in rude sleighs wherever there were settle- 
ments and rough roads had been made. But most of the 
country between the Hudson River and Lake Ontario was 
an unbroken wilderness, and narrow trails, worn by the 
moccasins of the red men and marked by blazed trees, were 
their only pathway. Sometimes, when journeying along 
the })anks of some stream, if the water was not too full of 
ice, they would embark in an Indian canoe and paddle 
down the stream. But most of the way they were obliged 



CO OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

to travel on foot, through deep snow, camping wherever 
night found them, making a rude shelter of boughs and 
building great fires to keep themselves warm. 

AVhen they reached the small settlement of Oswego, on 
Lake Ontario, they obtained l)oats and paddled along the 
shore of the lake until they reached Sackett's Harbor, where 
a small body of American soldiers were stationed, and 
where Perry was to report for duty. 

That was a long, dreary boat-ride. Upon one side lay 
the great forest, white with snow, silent and unbroken ; 
upon the other, the great "freshwater sea," with white 
capped waves beating against the lonely shore. The sound 
of their voices or the report of their guns, echoing from 
the dense forest and over the dark lake, then re-echoing 
again and again, still more faintly, were the only sounds 
to break the stillness ; but they were neither frightened nor 
discouraged, and at last reached Sackett's Harbor, drenched 
to the skin by a cold winter rain. 

Thence they soon set out for Erie, which they reached 
about the last of March. Here they found the ship-car- 
penters already at work upon three gunboats and two brigs. 
The task which Commander Perry accomplished would now 
seem almost an impossible one. 

In six months from the time the order was given, trees 
wdiich had been o^rowino^ strons: and o^reen beside the Lake 

o o o o 

were transformed into gunboats and brigs, while through 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 61 

the wilderness from Philadel[)hia, lumdreds of miles away, 
came wagons drawn ])y slow, patient oxen, ])ringing cannon, 
guns, ammunition, rigging and provisions for the new 
warships. 

While Perry was busily employed building his fleet, the 
American Navy on the Atlantic coast had lost one of its 
best ships and one of its bravest captains. Captain Law- 
rence of the Chesapeake had l)rave]y attacked the British 
frigate. Shannon, \\\\\(A\ proved too strong for him. The 
Chesapeake was captured and Captain Lawrence fell, mor- 
tally wounded, exclaiming with his last breath, "Don't give 
up the ship ! " When the news of his death reached the 
Secretary of the Navy, he sent word to Captain Perry to 
name one of the new ships the " Laivrence,'" and Perry gave 
this name to his own flagship. 

By the middle of July, 1813, the fleet was ready to put 
to sea, but there were not men enough to man more than 
one ship, and Perry w" rote many letters to the Secretary of 
the Xavy and to General Harrison, urging them to send 
him more men. By the first of August he had about four 
hundred sailors, "a mixed, incongruous set of ))eings, 
Americans, Europeans and blacks, who had not ])een 
together long enough to become acquainted with each 
other or with the service." These were the men with 
whom Perry was to win his wonderful victory. 

The little squadron, nine vessels in all, now left the 



62 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

harbor at Erie and sailed along the southern coast of the 
beautiful lake to Put-in-Bay, not far from the west end, 
while the British fleet lay in the harbor at Fort Maiden 
on the opposite shore. 

September came, with beautiful, warm sunny days, and 
early on the morning of the tenth, the lookout from the 
Lawrence saw the English fleet sail out on the Lake and 
approach Put-in-Bay. Immediately the American squadron 
prepared to meet them and sailed out into the lake. 

To a spectator the picture must have been beautiful ; 
the warm, bright sunlight, the sparkling, rippling water, 
the white sails, shining like snow as the soft breeze filled 
them, and the ships moving swiftly and gracefully through 
the water as if filled with life. But the black cannon, the 
glistening guns, the uniformed men, standing in silent 
groups upon the decks, made another picture, one of death 
and destruction, which marred all the beauty. 

Now the ships prepared for battle, and Commander Perry 
brought out a large blue flag, on which was inscribed in 
white letters the Avords of the gallant Law^rence, 
"Don't give up the ship!" "Men," said Perr}^" shall we 
hoist this flag?" "Aye, aye, sir," answered every one, and 
when the flag slowly rose and the breeze unfolded it so 
that the whole fleet could read the inscription, cheer after 
cheer rose from the decks, and every sailor determined to 
win or die in the attempt. 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 63 

On board the British flagship, Detroit, the band played 
"Rule Brittania," but after cheering the blue flag, not a 
sound was heard from the American squadron. They knew 
the task before thera, and silently, braA^ely went ahead. 
Just at twelve o'clock the first cannon-ball came across the 
water from the British flagship. In a moment the Laic- 
rence answered, and the battle of Lake Erie began. 

For two hours the Laivi'ence led the way until, with only 
nine men left who were able to fight, with her masts shat- 
tered, her guns silenced, her sides riddled by shot and her 
decks covered with wounded and dying men, it was evident 
that she could do no more and must surrender. Then the 
blue flag was hauled down and taking it in his arms. Perry 
and his little brother, in a small boat and amid a storm of 
bullets, were rowed to the other brig, the Nicujara, where 
the blue flag w^as once more raised. 

How the sailors cheered when it floated out again ; and 
when, at Perry's command, the Niagara ran down in the 
midst of the British fleet, every ship followed. Broadside 
after broadside was fired as each ship came in range, and 
in just fifteen minutes the British colors were slowly low- 
ered on the flagship Detroit^ and the battle was over. 

The "fir-built ships," and " outlaw crews " had won the 
day and Brittania no longer ruled the Lakes. 

Commander Perry now returned to his shattered flagship 
with his blue flag, and under its waving folds received the 



64 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

surrender of the British officers. As one by one they 
presented their swords to him, he quietly returned them 
witli courteous words of praise for their galhmt tight. 
Then, on a sli[) of paper taken from an old letter, he wrote 
his famous dispatch to General Harrison : 

"U. S. Brig JSfiagara, off the Western Sistp]r, 
Head of Lake Erie, 

Sept. 10, 4 o'clock P. M. 
Dear General: — We have met the enemy, and they are 
ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop. 
Yours, w^ith great respect and esteem, 

O. H. Perry." 

He also sent a dispatch to the Secretary of the Navy, as 
follows. , 

"U. S. Brig Niagara^ off the Western Sister, 
Head of lake erie, 

Sept. 10, 4 o'clock P. M. 
Sir: — It has pleased the Almighty to give to the arms 
of the United States a signal victory over their enemies on 
this lake. The British squadron, consisting of two ships, 
two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop, have this moment 
surrendered to the force under my command, after a sharp 
conflict. I have the honor to be, sir. 

Your obedient servant, 

O. H. Perry." 
The Hon. William Jones, Secretary of the Navy. 

In these direct, emphatic letters there is no boasting. 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 65 

Only a true hero, one to whom deeds meant more than 
words, could have written them. Never, since the great 
Roman general, Julius, wrote his immortal dispatch, " Fe7^^, 
vidi, vici^^ (1 ctxnie,l saw, I conquered), has so much been 
expressed in so few words. 

During the dreadful conflict, it is said there was but one 
moment when the courage and self-command of Commander 
Perry seemed shaken. This was when he saw his young 
brother knocked down by a hammock, which was driven in 
by a cannon ball. For a moment the Commander thought 
the boy was killed, but before he could reach him, the little 
fellow sprang to his feet, unhurt, and no one remembered 
the danger he had escaped. 

A lieutenant, badly wounded, and with bandaged head, 
came up to Perry saying, that all the officers of his division 
were killed ; Perry ordered others to fill their places. Soon 
after the brave lieutenant returned with the same story, 
all his officers killed or wounded. "Then, sir," said Perry, 
" you must try to make out by yourself, I have none left 
alive to furnish you." 

On board the British ship, Detroit, two Indians were to 
act as sharp-shooters. One of these climbed up in the rig- 
ging and fired one shot, Imt the whizzing of shot, splinters, 
and bits of rigging soon made the place too warm for him, 
and he descended faster than he climbed up. Just as he 
reached the deck a sailor was shot beside the other Indian, 



66 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

and with a loud " Waugh," the brave red men scrambled 
down ])elow, where they were found snugly stowed away, 
twenty-four hours afterward. 

Braver than they was a bear which the British officers 
had tamed, and Avhich Vemained on deck throughout the 
l)attle and escaped uninjured. 

The men who were killed were buried in the waters of 
the Lake. The day after the battle the funeral services of 
the American and British officers were held on the beach. 
Slowly the procession of boats crossed the bay, the oars 
strikino- the water in exact time with the notes of a solemn 

o 

diro'e. The flags waved mournfully at half-mast on all the 
vessels, and the minute guns boomed, while there, in the 
lonely wilderness, but a few paces from the shining, blue 
waters of the Lake, the dead officers, who had fought so 
fiercely against each other, were laid side by side in peace- 
ful rest. "And the traveller of either nation will find no 
memento whereby he may distinguish the American from 
the British hero." 

From this time victory was with the Americans both on 
land and sea. No time was lost by General Harrison in 
transporting his troops across to Canada in Perry's ships. 
The British fled before them at Fort Maiden, and Detroit 
surrendered without resistance. The Americans closely 
pursued the British and on the banks of the Thames River 
the final battle of the northwest was fought. 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 67 

Perry was too excited to remain quietly on board his 
ship ; so he joined General Harrison as an aide. During 
the battle of the Thames he rode a large black horse with a 
w^hite face, and as he rode over the field, carrying •orders, 
the soldiers cheered wherever he passed. 

General Proctor commanded the British soldiers, and 
Chief Tecumseh, the Indian warriors. When the British 
army surrendered, Proctor fled, but the brave Indian chief, 
scorning to flee, was killed. 

On October 7, 1813, Commander Perry started for 
Newport. He had accomplished the task he had been sent 
to perform, and was once more to see his wife and friends. 
All along the route he was welcomed as the " Hero of Lake 
Erie," the ''deliverer of the frontier." In all the principal 
cities there were brilliant illuminations, and banquets were 
tendered him. Business houses were shut and schools 
closed that the children might see the hero. On the eight- 
eenth of November he reached his home, and was welcomed 
by ringing of bells, flags waving from buildings, and from 
the ships in the harbor, and firing of guns to salute his 
home-coming. 

On November 29, he was promoted to the rank of Cap- 
tain, which was then the highest rank in the Navy. Con- 
gress presented him with a gold medal, the city of Buffalo 
with a sword and the city of Boston, with several pieces of 
silver, suitably inscribed, 



68 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

CAPTAIN PERRY. 

Until August, 1814, Captain Perry remained at home 
with his wife and friends. He was then summoned to 
AYashington and phiced in command of the new frigate, the 
Java^ which was to protect the city of Baltimore from the 
British, who had sailed up the Potomac, captured Wash- 
ington, and burned the new capitol and some of the public 
buildings. The}' then made an attack on Baltimore l^ut 
were driven back. 

Captain Perry was later placed in command of a squad- 
ron which was to cruise near the English coast, destroying 
English vessels and commerce, but before he could sail 
peace was declared, and on December 14, 1814, the War 
of 1812 ended. 

During this war trouble had arisen Avith the Barbary 
States, and Congress declared war with Algiers. Captain 
Stephen Decatur was sent with a squadron to the Mediter- 
ranean, where he soon compelled the Bey of Algiers to sign 
a treaty. In a short time the Bey repented of this act, 
and declared that he did not consider the treaty binding. 
Captain Perry was accordingly ordered to take the Java 
and join Decatur. 

On January 22, 1816, he sailed for Algiers, and met 
Decatur some time in iNIarch. However, there was no fight- 
ing, and in a short time the Bey signed another treaty and 



OLIVER nAZAKl) PERRY. 69 

Perry was ordered home. During his cruise along the 
southern shore of Euro[)e, Captain Perry attracted a great 
deal of attention. He was an excellent musician and had 
the finest band in the fleet. He was very kind to his men, 
allowing them to go on shore as much as possible, and took 
a great interest in the 3^oung midshipmen on his vessel, 
to whom he gave lessons in navigation, French and 
Spanish, as well as in fencing with the sword, and dancing. 

In January of 1817, Captain Perry sailed for home where 
he arrived some time in March, and was very glad to be 
once more with his wife and little ones. The next two 
years were the happiest of Perry's life. He had suffi- 
cient w^ealth for all his needs, he had won fame and honor 
and, best of all, a nation's gratitude. 

He built a comfortable little cottage on the old farm, once 
owned by his Quaker ancestor, and here the family spent 
the summers, returning to their Newport home in winter. 
It w^as with regret that he received a summons to Wash- 
ington on March 31, 1819, but it is a sailor's duty to obey 
orders, and he went at once. 

The Secretary of the Navy wished him to go to South 
America to look after American interests there. Venezuela 
was at war with Spain, and had fitted out several small, 
swift sailing vessels called privateers, which were to capt- 
ure Spanish merchant ships. These privateers were not 
always particular what vessels they- attacked, and several 



70 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

American merchants had met with losses through them. 
Captain Perry was to obtain payment for these losses if he 
could, and also to persuade the President of Venezuela to 
protect American commerce. 

Captain Perry started on this expedition at once, taking 
two vessels, the sloop John Adams, and a small schooner, 
the JSfonsuch, On July 17, 1819, he reached the mouth of 
the Orinoco River, where he was obliged to leave the Jolin 
Adams and go on board the schooner, for the mouth of the 
river was too shallow for large vessels. The John Adams 
was sent back to the island of Trinidad to await the arrival 
of Perry. 

The N^onsuch proceeded up the river to Angostura, the 
capital of Venezuela, about three hundred miles from its 
mouth. For over two hundred miles the country was 
uninhabited, the river banks low and the land subject to 
inundations. On either side extended great forests of live 
oak, mahogany, and cocoa-nut palms, festooned with 
vines and garlands of gay flowers, while the forest seemed 
alive with birds of brilliant plumage. But the heat was 
terrible. Poisonous insects swarmed around them, and 
there was no pure, cool water to drink. 

When they reached Angostura they found yellow fever 
prevailing there , and soon many of the crew were sick with 
it. Captain Perry then sent the JVonsuch back to the 
mouth of the river, there to wait for his arrival, while he 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 71 

remained until his mission was accomplished. But it was 
nearly three weeks before he could obtain the promise from 
the President which the United States required. 

At last, with all the necessary papers, he sailed on a 
small tender for the mouth of the Orinoco, reaching the 
Nonsuch on the evening of August 15, 1819. As the sea 
was rough, the Nonsuch was obliged to wait until morning 
before she started for Trinidad, and during the night Cap- 
tain Perry was taken with a chill followed by symptoms of 
yellow fever. 

The Nonsuch made every effort to hasten the voyage to 
Trinidad, for Captain Perry was very anxious to reach his 
ship, and the intense heat made the little cabin of the Non- 
such very uncomfortable. But unfavorable winds delayed 
their progress, and live days passed before the island of 
Trinidad came in sight. 

Captain Perry felt from the first that he should not 
recover, and made preparations for death, sending many 
tender messages to the dear wife and babies he would never 
see again. His one wish was that he might reach Trinidad 
and die on his flagship. 

When within a mile of the John Adams ^ the Nonsuch 
signalled for a boat to come for the dying Captain. In 
response to this signal a boat with the officers of the 
Joltn Ada7ns put oft* at once, and reached the schooner 
just in time to witness the death of their brave young 



72 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 

Ca})tMin. The anxious watchers on the JoJui Adams saw 
the flag of the JVouMich slowly lowered to half-mast. 
Captain Oliver Perry had surrendered to the one great 
enemy — Death. 

This was on August 23, 1819, his thirty-fourth birthday. 
"He had worn his laurels with a modesty so sincere and 
unaftected, that of all men he api)eared the most ignorant 
of their existence, or of the mighty, unanswerable claim 
he had put in for immortality," but '^ A nation's gratitude 
is the hero's best reward," and that he received without 
measure. 

The island of Trinidad belongs to Great Britain, and 
there, with full military honors, he was buried. 

The English oflScers and troops, and the Commandant of 
the Garrison and his stalf marched at the head of the coffin, 
forming a guard of honor for the dead. Following, came 
the officers and crews of the Jo/ni Adams and the JVonsuch 
as mourners, while minute i>uns were tired as the lon<x 
procession passed to the English l)urying-ground, and 
there laid the dead hero to rest. 

An okl biography, printed in 1821, says ; "Such was the 
veneration which was entertained even ])y foreigners for 
the character of Perry, that in 1820, a monument was 
erected at Port Spain to his memory. We cannot believe 
that the rights of sepulchre will be left entirely to foreign- 
ers, and his bones to moulder in a foreis^n land. We trust 



OLIVER HAZARD PERRY. 73 

that in a suitable time his remains will l)e brought to his 
native country." 

Some years afterward, the Government sent a ship to 
bring his remains to the United States. lie was finally laid 
to rest at Newport, Rhode Island, and a granite monument 
marks the grave of " The brightest ornament of the Ameri- 
can Navy," whose illustrious name 

"Long shall blaze an unextinguished ray, 
A mighty beacon, lighting glory's way." 

To his widow was given an annuity of four hundred dol- 
lars during her life. To the three young sons, an annuity 
of fifty dollars until they were twenty-one, and to his infant 
daughter, an annuity of fifty dollars until her marriage or 
death. This is the first instance in which our government 
paid an annuity, or pension, to the family of an officer. 
All pensions up to that d;ite were given directly to the 
person who had served the government, and ceased at his 
death o 




FARRAGUT. 



DAVID GLASGOW FARRAGUT 



BY 



HELEN L. CAMPBELL 



75 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT 



From the little island of Minorca, lying in the beautiful 
blue Mediterranean Sea, there came to this country, in the 
year 1776, a young man just twenty-one years old, named 
George Farragiit. 

He was of Spanish parents, although at the time of his 
birth Minorca . was under the British Government ; but 
being of an alien race, he had no sympathy with the 
English, and reaching America just as the war for Inde- 
pendence began, he at once took sides with the Colonies. 

He was young, strong, and brave, and ready to help his 
adopted country win her liberty ; and all through the long 
war of the Revolution, with its dangers and hardships, he 
fought loyally for the new land he called his home. 

When the war ended, he, like many others, found him- 
self without any possessions except strength, manhood, 
and a free country, and set to work at once to build up 
his own fortunes. 

Being fond of adventure, he settled on the border line 
of Eastern Tennessee, married Elizabeth' Shine, a North 
Carolina girl, and began making a home for his family in 
the great wilderness. The forest lay for miles around 

77 



78 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

them, dark and lonely, and the howl of the wolf or scream 
of the panther were familiar sounds. Indians roamed 
through the country, savage and cruel, ready to murder 
and scalp any unlucky settler who came within their 
reach. 

Here, on the fifth day of July, 1801, in the humble log 
cabin in the wilderness, at what is now Campbell's Station, 
near Knoxville, Eastern Tennessee, a little baby boy was 
born, w^hom his parents named David Glasgow Farragut. 

One of the little boy's earliest recollections was of his 
older brother running in and crying: "The Indians, the 
Indians are coming ! " and his mother hastily barred the 
door, sending the two little boys up the ladder into the 
loft of the cabin, while, with an axe in her hand, she stood 
beside the door ready to defend her little ones with her 
life if necessary. Fortunately the Indians passed by, 
walking one behind the other in the narrow path ; but 
their gay feathers and brilliant war-paint could not hide 
the hate in their fierce black eyes as they glanced toward 
the w^hite man's humble home. 

Such dangerous neighbors made it necessary for the 
scattered settlers to combine in some form for protection 
and defense, and George Farragut served actively as 
major of cavalry for some years. 

When little David was about five years old his father, 
hoping to better his fortune, moved to Louisiana, which 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 79 

had just been ceded to the United States, and settled his 
family in New Orleans. Here he was appointed sailing- 
master in the Navy and placed in command of a gunboat on 
the Mississippi River. Thus early in life the little boy 
became interested in the Navy of his country and learned 
to love the ships and the great ocean. 

While living in his father's house on the shores of Lake 
Ponchartrain, an event took place which changed the 
whole life of little David Farragut. 

One veiy w^arm day George Farragut went out upon the 
lake fishing and took his little boy in the boat with him. 
As they sat in the boat near the shore, where the great 
trees, draped with long gray moss, made a cool shaded 
spot, they saw a boat drifting along upon the water in the 
bright sunshine and could see no one in it. Nearer and 
nearer it drifted, and at last George Farragut thought he 
saw someone lying helpless in the bottom of the boat. 
Rowing out to it he found an old gentleman, who, while 
out fishing, had been overcome by the heat and was suf- 
fering from sunstroke ; and carefully lifting him into their 
boat, they hastened home. 

This old gentleman was David Porter, a sailing-master 
in the navy, and his son. Captain John Porter, had charge 
of the naval station at New Orleans. He had also a 
grandson, David D. Porter, then a small boy, but who 
many years after became an admiral. 



80 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

Geovire Farragut took the old gentleman to his house 
and cared for him until he died, for he never grew strong 
enough to be removed to his own home. Just before he 
died, Mrs. Farragut, little David's mother, was taken with 
yellow fever and died after a short illness. The two were 
buried upon the same day. 

Commander Porter felt deeply grateful to the Farraguts 
for their kindness to his father, and coming to visit them 
not long after the funeral, he offered to take one of the 
motherless little ones and adopt it as his own. Little 
David had been admiring the commander's uniform, and 
readily promised to go with him, and Commander Porter 
promised to be always a good friend to him. Many years 
afterward, when David Farragut was an old man, he said : 
"I am happy to have it in my power to say, with feelings 
of the w^armest gratitude, that he was ever to me all that 
he promised to be." 

He now went to live in his new home, making frequent 
visits to his father's family ; but after a few months 
Commander Porter went to Washington, takins^ little 
David with him, and placed him in school there. Before 
starting he visited his father and bade him what proved to 
be a last farewell, for when he again visited New Orleans 
his father was dead. 

David remained in school at Washington for some time, 
and while there went one day with his guardian to visit 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 81 

Paul Hamilton, Secretary of the Navy, who, learning how 
much the little boy wished to enter the Navy, promised 
him a midshipman's warrant when he reached his tenth 
birthday. This promise he more than kept, for on the 
seventeenth of December, 1810, when the boy was only 
nine and a half years old, he received his midshipman's 
warrant, and from that time until his death, sixty years 
later, he belonged to the Navy of the United States. 

Soon after this happened, Commander Porter moved to 
his home in Chester, Pennsylvania, and David Farragut 
went to school there. 

Commander Porter had a son who was also named 
David, and long years after the two Davids commanded 
ships and fought side by side upon the Mississippi River 
and in the Gulf; but now they attended school together, 
studied and played, and perhaps sometimes quarreled and 
got into mischief together as boys often do. 

The young midshipman did not atj:end school long. In 
August, 1811, Commander Porter was ordered to take 
command of the frigate Essex and he took with him the 
little midshipman, David Farragut, just ten years old. 
Long years afterward. Commodore Bolton — then a young 
lieutenant on the Essex — told Mrs. Farragut he remem- 
bered finding the little fellow sound asleep, leaning against 
a ffun-carria^e, and covered him with his jacket to protect 
him from the chill night air. 



82 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

Commander Porter, wishing to keep his adopted son 
as near himself as possible, made him midshipman of the 
captain's gig — as the captain's own boat is called — and 
one day he went out in this boat with a boat-crew of sailors 
to bring the captain, who had gone ashore, back to the ship. 

While the boat was waiting at the wharf, a crowd of 
dock-loafers commenced making remarks about the young 
midshipman who stood in the boat, feeling very proud of 
his new uniform and very important at being in command 
of the boat's crew. He heard what the men said but made 
no reply, though his crew felt very angry at the insulting 
words about their little commander. 

At last one of the loafers picked up an old watering-pot 
and sprinkled dirty water upon the little midshipman. In 
an instant the man in the bow of the boat caught his boat- 
hook in the fellow's pocket and dragged him into the boat, 
while little David and his crew sprang upon the wharf and 
i)egan striking right and left. As commanding officer, it 
was David's duty to restrain his men ; but he rushed 
ahead, waving his sword and cheering them on, and 
chased the loafers through the town to the market. Here 
the police interfered, arrested them all, and the young 
officer was bound over to keep the peace. 

The Essex, where David Farragut first served as a 
midshipman, had quite a history before she became famous 
as the ship connected with the great Admiral. She was 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 83 

built in 1798 and '99 by the citizens of Salem, Massa- 
chusetts. During the winter the farmers brought on sleds, 
drawn by yokes of stout oxen, great timbers from the 
surrounding forests for the frame and planking of the ship. 
The rigging was made at the rope-walks of Salem, and the 
sails were so carefully chosen, cut, and fitted that it was 
said the Essex never sailed so well as in her first suit. 
All' the ships of those days were fitted with sails. There 
were no great steamers, iron-clad or built of steel, like the 
great warships of today. 

The Essex had been sailing upon the Atlantic about 
twelve years, when Captain Porter was ordered to take 
command of her, and took David Farragut with him as 
midshipman. After cruising along our eastern coast for 
some time, she was sent to the Cape Verd Islands, and 
from there to the western coast of South America to pro- 
tect the American whaling ships in the Pacific. 

The passage around Cape Horn is always a dangerous 
one, and especially so to a ship wdiolly dependent on sails 
and going from east to west, since the winds there are 
nearly all from the west. It was a long, slow voyage, 
the supply of food and water was limited, and there were 
no friendly ports where more could be obtained. 

Such a long stormy passage without enough to eat was 
a severe trial to the young sailor, and he wrote in his 
journal how they all suffered from hunger and the terrible 



84 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

weather. For twenty-one days the Essex struggled 
through the heavy seas, and the terrific winds and storms. 
At last came a storm far worse than any they had yet 
encountered. Great waves tossed the ship from side to 
side and broke over her decks. Soon an awful wave, 
towering high above the brave little ship, burst over her 
and stove in one side, letting in such floods of water that 
they feared that she would surely sink. Writing in his 
journal. Midshipman Farragut said: "This was the first 
time I ever saw sailors paralyzed with fear. They knelt 
upon the deck and began ]:> raying ; when the mate called 
out, with a voice like the roar of a lion, 'Put your best 
foot forward, boys ! Put your best foot forward, there is 
one side of the ship left yet.'" 

At last the stormy cape was passed and the Essex 
headed north on the smoother waters of the broad Pacific, 
and the little frigate thus won the honor of being the first 
American man-of-war to round Cape Horn ; just as eleven 
years before, in 1800, she had been the first to carry the 
Stars and Stripes around the Cape of Good Hope into the 
Indian Ocean. 

There were, at this time, on the western coast of South 
America about twenty-five American whalers, worth nearly 
two and a half million dollars. These had left home in a 
time of peace and most of them were unarmed. There 
were also about twenty English whalers in the same 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 85 

waters ; but as England was usually at war with some 
other nation, these vessels were well armed and carried 
letters of marque, which gave them authority to capture 
vessels belonging to any nation with which England 
was at war. Thus the declaration of the war of 1812 
left the American whaler, at the mercy of their English 
adversaries. 

The duty of the Essex was to protect these ships and 
capture as many of the English ships as possible. In less 
than three months Commander Porter had captured eight 
English whalers, and he placed little Midshipman Farragut 
in command of one of them, the Barclay, and told him to 
follow the Essex to the Galapagos Islands. 

The English captain was furious that a boy, not twelve 
years old, should be placed in command of his ship, and 
blustered and threatened the little commander, who wrote 
that night in his journal : " I was a little afraid of the old 
fellow, and so were the crew ; but I knew the time had 
come for me to, at least, play I was a man, so I mustered 
up courage and asked him to order the crew to set more 
sails, so we might keep up with the Essex. He replied 
that he wouM ' shoot the first man who dared touch a rope 
without his orders, and would go his own course, and not 
trust himself with such a little nutshell.' He then went 
into the cabin for his pistols, and I called the head man 
of the crew and told him what I wanted done. His 



8(^ ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

cheerful 'Ay, ay, sir,' restored my confidence. From 
that time I was commander of the ship, and I at once 
notified the captain not to come on deck with those pistols, 
unless he wished to be thrown overboard ; for I really 
believe the crew would have obeyed me if I had pven 
such an order. I reported to my captain, when we 
reached the harbor, and the English captain made his 
report, saying he was only trying to frighten me. I 
asked him how he succeeded, and offered to take the ship 
to Valparaiso. He was told that I was the commander, 
and he was only to advise me in case we got separated 
from the fleet. So I again took command, and every- 
thing went pleasantly until we reached Valparaiso." 

While in the harbor at the Galapagos Islands, Farragut 
learned to swim. He had often watched the natives, who 
seemed as much at 'home in the water as on land and he 
soon learned to swim almost as well as they. In his 
journal he writes : " It appears as natural for these 
islanders to swim, as to eat. I have often seen mothers 
take their little children, not more than two years old, on 
their backs, wade out into deep water, and tossing them 
into the waves, leave them to paddle for themselves. To 
my great astonishment the little creatures could swim 
like ducks." 

But the o:ood fortune of the brave little Essex did not 
last long. She had captured all but one of the British 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 87 

whalers and was lying in the harbor of Valparaiso, when 
news came to Commander Porter that three British war- 
ships were coming into the harbor. 

The Essex prepared for battle at once and fought 
bravely, but the British ships carried guns of longer range 
than those of the Essex, and she was completely at their 
mercy, for the shots from her guns could not reach them, 
while three to one, they could make every shot do great 
damao^e. After over two hours' hard fiofhtino^ she was 
obliged to surrender, having only one hundred men left 
of the two hundred and fifty six who went into battle. 

This was the first battle that the boy had seen. The 
roar of the great guns, the smoke and flyiJig splinters, the 
dead and wounded lying around him, were something 
terrible for a child to endure. Again and again men 
were shot down, beside him. He was sent below to brinor 
up some primers for the guns. As he started down the 
stairs, a cannon ball struck a man at the head of the stairs, 
crushing him and tumbling him headlong down the stairs 
over the boy. Frightened and breathless, he crawled out 
and ran back to his commander. " Are you hurt ? " asked 
Commander Porter. "I guess not," answered Farragut. 
" Then where are those prmiers ? " Thus reminded that 
nothing but death excused a neglect of duty, Farragut ran 
back and brought up the primers. 

After surrendering, the crew of the Essex were taken 



88 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

onboard one of the British ships. Here Farragut saw a 
pet pig belonging to him, which a British midshipman 
claimed. Farragut said the pig was his and being 
private property could not be claimed by the victors ; but 
the English boy refused to give it up. The sailors said 
"Let the boys fight it out." This they did at once, and 
Farragut succeeded in thrashing the young Briton and 
regaining his pig. 

But Farragut felt very badly over the defeat and the loss 
of the Essex, the first ship on which he sailed and which 
he said in his journal was the "smartest ship in the whole' 
squadron." He was invited, with the other oflScers, to take 
dinner in the cabin with the British captain but he could 
not eat. Seeing how badly he felt, the British captain 
said to him : "Never mind, my little fellow, it will be your 
turn next, perhaps." "I hope so," answered Farragut, 
and ran out of the cabin to hide his tears. 

At last, with the other officers of the Essex, young 
Farragut reached the United States once more and 
returned with Commander Porter to their home in Chester, 
where he was again sent to school. He was not allowed 
to remain there very long, however, but was once more 
ordered to go to sea, this time under a strange commander. 

He was now thirteen years old and for the next six 
years Avas constantly on the ocean, serving on diff*erent 
ships and visiting many countries. He learned much 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 89 

about the old world, its governments, its armies, and its 
navies. He studied all the time, attending school in any 
port where his ship remained long. 

In 1820, he again landed in the United States, having 
been ordered to return and pass the examination required 
for the rank of lieutenant. He succesfully passed this 
examination and the next spring was again ordered to sea, 
going with the Mosquito Fleet to drive the pirates from 
the West Indies. Now he was again under his old friend 
and guardian. Commander Porter. 

After two years' service with this fleet, he returned to 
Norfolk, and in September, 1823, was married to Miss 
Susan C. Marchant of Norfolk. 

The next sixteen years of Lieutenant Farragut's life 
were uneventful ones. The United States was at peace 
with all nations, and there was but little active service for 
her Naval officers. Part of the time he had charge of a 
receiving ship, where boys are trained for service on 
Government vessels. He also started schools for these 
boys, teaching them many things besides seamanship, for 
many of them could neither read nor write when they 
came to the ship. He made several voyages, too, in the 
interests of the Government, but in 1839 returned to 
Norfolk to care for his wife, who was an invalid. There 
in 1840 she died. 

His tenderness and devotion to his wife during her long 



90 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

illness was remarkable, and no act of his life more fully 
shows the beauty of his character. He was a brave, 
daring officer on board his ship, and a tender, faithful 
nurse at the bedside of his suffering wife. A lady of 
Norfolk said of him : '' When Captain Farragut dies, he 
should have a monument reaching to the skies, made by 
every wife in the city of Norfolk contributing a stone." 

After the death of his wife Farragut again entered the 
service, and for three years spent most of his time on 
board his ship. During this time he received his com- 
mission as commander. In 1843, he again visited Norfolk, 
and on December 26th of that year was married to Miss 
Virginia Loyall. Afterward, he again took command of 
the receiving ship at Norfolk where he remained until war 
with Mexico broke out, when he took command of a ship 
cruising in the Gulf of Mexico. While engaged in this 
duty, he himself with one hundred others, out of a crew 
of one hundred and fifty, were sick at one time with 
yellow fever. 

After the close of the Mexican war he returned to the 
receiving ship for two yeai^s, when he was called to 
Washington with other Naval officers, to draw up a book 
of Regulations for the Navy. While engaged on this 
work he attended regularly the lectures at the Smith- 
sonian Institute, losins: but a sino^le one in the eio^hteen 
months he was employed in Washington. He wrote in 



ADMIRAL FAKRAGUT. 91 

his journal : " I never come away from these lectures, 
without being wiser than when I w^ent in." He made it a 
rule of his life to learn something whenever he had an 
opportunity, on the principle that any knowledge might 
at sometime become useful. 

In August of 1854, Captain Farragut was sent from 
Norfolk to California as first Commandant of the Navy 
Yard at Mare's Island. 

There were no houses on the island, and Farragut with 
his family lived seven months on board an old sloop-of-war, 
anchored near by. He remained here four years and 
then, in 1858, returned to Norfolk, where he was placed in 
command of the ship Brooklyn. After spending two 
years in the Gulf of Mexico, he returned to his old home 
once more, in October of 1860. This ended his service in 
the Navy as captain of a single ship. During the remain- 
der of his active life he was to command great fleets. 

The pages of History tell us the causes of the Civil 
War; how friend turned against friend, and brother 
against l)rother. Commander Farragut's home and friends 
were all in the South. There he was born, there was his 
home, there he had twice been married, and there he 
hoped to end his days when no longer able to be of 
service to his Government. 

But he was too noble, too loyal to turn against the 
flag under whose folds the greater part of his life had been 



92 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

spent. AVhen only a child, he had borne hunger and cold 
without a murmur, \yhile carrying the Stars and Stripes for 
the first time through the terrible storms and turbulent 
seas around Cape Horn ; and now, a man in the prime of 
life, he could not desert the old flag when the terrible 
storms of Civil War threatened to destroy it forever. 

It was a difficult task to choose — home and the friends 
of a lifetime upon one side, and loyalty to his country 
upon the other — but he did not hesitate. "God forbid," 
he said, "that I should ever raise my hand against the 
South ; })ut I stand on no neutral ground. President 
Lincoln was justified by the acts of the South in calling for 
troops." This was a strong remark to make in a Southern 
city, in the heart of the rebellion, and Farragut was at 
once warned that a person expressing such sentiments 
could not live in Norfolk. "Very well," he replied; "I 
can live elsewhere." He turned away, went to his own 
house, and told his wife the time had come for her to 
decide whether she would remain with her own people 
or go- North with him. She chose at once to accompany 
her husband, and that very evening, taking with them 
their son and only child, they left Norfolk never to return 
to it again as their home. 

He was now ready and waiting, hoping to be called to take 
an active part in the war. But so many Southern officers 
had turned against the Union, that the Government did not 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 1)3 

know whom to trust; and though Commander Farragut 
had given every proof of loyalty, still it was some time 
before he was placed in a responsible position. 

At last in December of 1861, he was appointed to 
command the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, and 
was soon ordered to take such vessels as could be spared 
from tlie blockade, sail up the Mississippi River, and 
capture New Orleans. 

You will read in History how inany hard battles were 
fought before the Union Armies held the Mississippi River, 
which was the main thoroughfare of the South. Having 
few railroads, they depended upon the coast cities to 
obtain supplies, which could be brought to them by boats 
and from them carried into the interior for the use of 
their armies. 

Lono- and bravely they fought to retain control of the 
river, and Farragut's expedition was sent to conquer and 
hold the southern part of the river. Early in April of 
1862, with a powerful fleet he entered the Mississippi, 
proceeding north about thirty miles to the point where 
Fort elackson upon one side, and Fort St. PhiHp upon the 
other, defended the passage to New Orleans, about ninety 
miles above them. The great guns of the forts swept the 
river, and barriers, formed of hulks of vessels and cypress 
logs forty feet long and four or five feet in diameter, 
chained together, were stretched across the river, making 



94 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

it very difficult for ships to break through. But having 
brought the forty-five ships which formed his squadron into 
position, Commander Farragut commenced bombarding the 
forts, and for six days the fight continued without ceasing. 

The forts were not much injured. We had no great 
war-ships then, carrying guns like volcanoes, whose great 
bombs are as destructive as earthquakes, such as our Navy 
boasts today ; and seeing how little damage was done to 
the forts by his cannon, Farragut determined to run by the 
forts and bombard the city itself, if it would not surrender. 

On the night of April 20th, he sent two gunboats, the 
Itasca and Pinola, to try to break through the barriers and 
make an opening for the larger vessels to pass through. 
The Pinola went ahead, ran down against the barrier, but 
failed to break through. The Itasca followed, ran along- 
side of the barrier, and slipped the chains from one of the 
hulks, which drifted loose, swung against the Itasca and 
run her aground under the fire of the forts. 

With the help of the Pinola, the Itasca at last succeeded 
in getting into deep water again, when her daring Com- 
mander, instead of running back to the squadron, as the 
Pinola had done, satisfied with what they had already 
accomplished, turned and ran his little boat directly at the 
barriers. Shot and shell from the forts hissed and shrieked 
all around her, but the brave little gunboat ran swiftly 
ahead and striking the chains with great force, rose three 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 95 

or four feet from the water, sliding upon the chains and 
drassins: the hulks down under water. For an instant 
the chains held the Itasca fast ; then they snapped like 
wires, the barriers swung wide apart, and the little gun- 
boat, having cleared the way for the larger ships, ran back 
to the shelter of the fleet. 

The next night about half the fleet ran past the forts 
under a terrible storm of shot and shell, which the guns of 
the larger ships steadily returned. Soon the barriers were 
left behind and, passing around a bend in the river, a fleet 
of Confederate gunboats came in sight. Then the real 
battle began. As the captain of one of the ships after- 
ward said, when describing the battle : "Then all kinds of 
things happened." In the uncertain starlight it was diffi- 
cult to distinguish friend from foe. The roar of the great 
guns, the thick smoke, the orders shouted back and forth, 
the splashing and hissing of the water as shot or shell 
missed its mark and plunged into the river, made a scene 
of indescribable confusion. Soon a fire-raft — bales of 
burning cotton on a raft of logs — came swiftly toward the 
ships, shoved ahead by a daring little steam tug, and made 
straight for the Hartford on which Farragut ^vas standing. 
The Hartford turned to avoid it ; ])ut it came straight 
against her, setting the side of the ship on fire. The crew, 
however, were ready for this and soon put the fire out, 
while a well directed cannon ball sent the brave little tug 



96 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

to the bottom of the river, and the raft drifted harmlessly 
ashore. In about twenty minutes the Confederate fleet 
of eleven ships had surrendered. 

When the people of New Orleans heard how the ships 
had passed the fort, captured the fleet, and were drawing 
near the city, a scene of wildest confusion followed. The 
city was doomed, and the people, mad with rage and fear, 
set fire to all the boats lying at the docks and sent them 
drifting down the stream to meet the Federal ships. 
Thousands of bales of cotton and tons of coal, stored upon 
the wharves and in warehouses, were set on fire lest they 
should fall into the hands of the victors. 

Mr. George W. Cable, then a boy of fourteen, living in 
the city, thus describes the terrible scene in one of the 
books he has written : "I can see the ships now, as they 
came slowly around Slaughter House Point into full view, 
silent, grim, and terrible; black with men, heavy with 
portent, the long-banished Stars and Stripes flying against 
the frowning sky. The crowds on the levee howled and 
screamed with raoje. The swarmino^ decks answered never 
a word ; but one old tar on the Hartford, standing lanyard 
in hand beside a great pivot gun, so plain in view that 
you could see him smile, silently patted its big, black 
breech, and blandly grinned. And then the rain came 
down in torrents." 

Commander Farragut now sent Captain Bailey, the 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 07 

second officer in command, to demand the surrender of 
the city. Taking a lieutenant with him, Captain Bailey 
started with a flag of truce. When the boat reached the 
wharf men, w^omen, and children waved rebel flags, shouted 
and hooted as they stepped ashore. "Hurrah, for Jeff* 
Davis," they cried, "Shoot them! Hang them!" and 
began throwing sticks, stones, anything they could reach 
at the men. But these two brave officers walked steadily 
ahead, looking neither to the right nor left, never speak- 
ing, never flinching, though the howling mob shook pistols 
in their faces and cursed and jeered them. 

With death threatening them at every step, they marched 
without an outward sign of fear straight to the City Hall, 
and demanded the surrender of New Orleans. The Mayor 
refused to surrender, and the men returned to their ships. 
Farragut waited three days, until Forts Jackson and St. 
Philip had surrendered to Commander Porter, then sent 
ashore two hundred and fifty marines, with two small 
cannon, to take possession of the town. Marching in 
front of the City Hall, pointing their cannon up and down 
the broad street, paying no heed to the howling, jeering 
crowd, the brave sailors hoisted the Stars and Stripes 
above the City Hall, and New Orleans was taken. General 
B. F. Butler, with fifteen thousand soldiers, then marched 
in, and the Union Army controlled the lower Mississippi. 

Commander Farragut was now ordered to proceed four 



98 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

hundred miles up the river and capture the city of Vicks- 
burg. Although he seems to have known that this could 
not be done without the aid of an army on the land, still it 
was his duty to obey orders, and he accordingly sailed up 
the river, passed and repassed the forts, captured several 
Confederate gunboats, but could not take the cit}^ with 
ships alone. While his fleet was lying before Vicksburg, 
his son, Loyall, visited his father and remained for some 
time. When Farragut sent him home he wrote to his 
wife : " I am trying to make up my mind to part with 
Loyall. I am too devoted a father to have my child with 
me in troubles of this kind." 

Up and down the Mississippi, all through those terrible 
years of war. Commanders Farragut and Porter passed and 
repassed, destroying boats and preventing supplies being 
furnished to the Confederate Armies. The two Davids, 
who had shared the same home, played, studied, and 
worked together, now shared the honors and dangers of 
war, and together fought to defend their country and to 
uphold her laws. 

After Vicksburg was taken by General Grant in 1863, 
Commander Farragut returned to the Gulf, and the task of 
blockading the southern cities on the coast. 

Mobile was the only city of importance on the Gulf now 
held by the Confederate Army, and in August of 1864 
Commander Farragut prepared to capture that. The 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 99' 

day before the battle began he wrote to his wife as 

follows : 

Flagship Hartford. 
Off Mobile, August 4, 1864. 
My dearest Wife : 

I write and leave this letter for you. I am 
going into Mobile in the morning if God is my leader, as 
I hope He is, and in Him I place my trust. If He thinks 
it is the proper place for me to die, I am ready to submit 
to His will in this, as in all other things. God bless and 
preserve you, my darling, and our dear boy, if anything 
should happen to me. 

Your devoted and affectionate husband, who never for a 
moment forgot his love, duty, or fidelity to you, his best 
of wives. 

D. G. Farragut. 

In Mobile Bay lay the fleet of Confederate war-ships 
and their new iron-clad, the Tennessee, a boat much 
dreaded by the Federals, who had heard wonderful stories 
of her speed and great strength. About four o'clock in the 
morning the ships began moving. Upon all the ships, not 
only from the peak, where it usually flies, but from every 
mast-head as w^ell, the Stars and Stripes floated out upon 
the morning breeze, and as the light of the morning stars 
grew dim, the Stars of Old Glory shone with a brilliancy 
the rising sun could not diminish. 

It was Farragut's wish that his ship should lead the 
column, but to this his officers objected, saying that the 



100 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

commander of the fleet ought not to take so exposed a 
position. Afterward he much regretted yielding to their 
wishes on this occasion. 

At seven o'clock Fort Morgan opened fire on the 
Brooklyn, which led the column, and the battle began. 
In order to see more clearly, and thus be better able to 
direct the movements of his ships, Farragut had taken a 
position in the main rigging. As the smoke from the guns 
grew denser and rose higher, Farragut went up, step by 
step, until he was close under the main-top of the ship. 
Here he had the whole scene before him, and bracing 
himself against the shrouds, could use his spy-glass and 
watch every movement of the more distant ships. 

Captain Drayton, seeing him there and fearing some 
sudden jar might dash him to the deck below, sent a man 
to carry up a rope and fasten him there. Farragut 
objected at first, but at last allowed it to be done, and this 
story has become famous in history. In writing home 
about it Farragut said : '' I was only standing in the rig- 
ging, when that dear boy, Watson, brought me a rope^ 
saying, if I would stand there, I had better secure myself 
against falling. I thanked him for his consideration, and 
took a turn of the rope around and over the shrouds, and 
around my body, for fear of being wounded and falling, as 
the shots were flying rather thickly." 

"That dear boy, Watson," then a young man and 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 101 

Farragut's flag-lieutenant, is now Commodore Watson, 
commanding a part of our fleet and who was to lead the 
fleet across the Atlantic Ocean toward Spain. Admiral 
Dewey, the hero of Manila, was also a young lieutenant 
in the Gulf Squadron under Farragut, and many others, 
whose names have since stood high upon our Naval list, 
were then young men, learning many a useful lesson from 
their brave old admiral. 

The Forts sent shot and shell crashing into our ships. 
From every Confederate battle-ship and gunboat came 
the terrible iron hail, and one after another the guns of 
Farragut's ships answered as they followed their Comman- 
der's flag through the deadly storm of fire. In two 
columns the ships advanced ; steadily drawing nearer and 
nearer, silencing many a gun and battery as they passed. 
The Confederate iron-clad, the terrible Tennessee, started 
from under the guns of the forts and came toward them. 
A Federal iron-clad, the Tecumseh, started to meet her, 
but as she crossed the line of buoys stretched across the 
channel, a hidden torpedo exploded under her and she 
sank head-foremost to the bottom of the Gulf, carrying 
ninety brave men to their graves, in their iron coffin. 

Farragut saw her go down. He saw his columns of 
ships becoming confused and doubling up together, unable 
to answer the terrible fire from the forts and gunboats. 
All the long years of faithful devotion to duty, all the 



102 ADMIRAL FARRAOUT. 

success of the past two years, all the glory of his battles 
upon the river seemed about to be overwhelmed in a 
terrible defeat. Ahead of them w^as the line of torpedoes 
which had just sent one of their best ships to the bottom i 
behind them were the forts with their deadly cannon. To 
go forward or to return seemed equally dangerous. 

In this great crisis the brave admiral, feeling his own 
helplessness, offered up this prayer : " Oh God, who created 
man and gave him reason, direct me what to do. Shall I- 
go on?'' "And it seemed to me," said the faithful old 
commander, " as if a voice commanded, ' Go on ! '" 

Like the soldier who trusted all to God, but kept his 
powder dry, Farragut turned his ship and dashed straight 
ahead of his column and at the line of torpedo buoys, 
trusting God would lead him to victory. 

As his ship passed between the buoys the torpedoes were 
heard knocking against the bottom, but none exploded. 
The Hartford passed safely through the channel, and the 
admiral's flag waved over the waters of Mobile Bay, and 
the worst of the battle was over. The other ships followed 
their leader, believing they were following their Comman- 
der-in-chief to a noble death, but victory was theirs instead. 

All the Confederate ships except the Tennessee were 
now disabled, and the captain of the Hartford said to 
Farragut: "We have done well; but all we have done 
counts for nothing, so long as the Tennessee is there under 



\ 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 103 

the guns of Fort Morgan." "I know that," answered 
Farragut, " and as soon as the men have their breakfast I 
am going for her." 

Scarcely were the words spoken, when they saw the 
great ship turn and come directly toward them. What 
her commander thought he could do, alone against four- 
teen ships, is unknown. Perhaps he thought the great 
strength of his ship and the long range of his rifled guns 
would enable him to hurt them, without injury to his ship ; 
at all events he came swiftly down, straight for the 
Hartford. 

One after the other, our iron-clad gunboats struck her, 
but straight ahead she came and struck the Hartford, 
doubling her anchor and scraping her sides. Farragut 
had again climbed into the rigging to watch the movements 
of his ships, and the shock of the ships coming together 
made the Hartford reel so that all thought she was sinking. 
The Lackawana, coming swiftly to help, also ran against 
her and caused great confusion. "Save the Admiral!" 
cried the crew ; "Get the Admiral on board the Lackawana !" 
forgetting their own danger, in their love for their old 
Commander. However, no damage was done to the Hart- 
ford and her guns were soon turned against the Tennessee. 
So close together were the ships, the gunners could look 
into each others' faces, as they sighted their guns. Again 
and again, ship after ship poured shot and shell into the 



104 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

ill-fated Tennessee. Her smoke stack fell, her rigging 
was shot away, five of her guns disa})led, and several times 
her flagstaff was shot down, but the flag was quickly hoisted 
again, until at last it was fastened to a boathook and 
propped up. Soon five gunboats turned and were com- 
ing swiftly toward her, intending to strike her, one after 
another. Her captain was wounded, most of her crew 
killed, and at last she hauled down her flag and the white 
flag went up in its place. The Tennessee had surrendered, 
and the battle of Mobile Bay was over. 

"One of the hardest earned victories of my life," said 
Farragut, " and the most desperate battle I ever fought 
since the days of the old Essex." In a few days the last 
fort surrendered, and the city of Mobile was cut oft' from 
all communication with the outside world by water. 

Farragut now asked for leave of absence in order to rest ; 
he had been on board his ship, in a hot climate, for over 
six months and was nearly exhausted with the cares and 
responsibilities of his position. One of his lieutenants 
writing home said : " I was talking to the admiral the day 
after the last fort surrendered, when all at once he fainted 
away. He is not very well, and is all tired out. He is a 
mighty fine old fellow." Farragut was sixty-three years 
old at this time. 

On the twentieth day of November, 1864, he was granted 
leave of absence, and on the twelfth of December his flag- 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 105 

ship sailed into New York harbor. Great crowds greeted 
him as he landed at the Battery, and a reception was given 
him at the Custom House. He Avas requested by the 
citizens to make his home in the city, and a gift of fifty 
thousand dollars accompanied the request. The Govern- 
ment promoted him to the rank of Vice-Admiral, a grade 
created especially for him. 

After Richmond was taken in April of 1865, Farragut 
was among the first to visit the city and from there he 
paid a visit to his old home in Norfolk. Many of his old 
friends still felt very bitterly toward him, saying he was a 
Southerner who had turned against the South. Farragut 
said: "I had either to turn against the South, or turn 
against the Government which had supported me from 
childhood. Thank God ! I w\as not long in making my 
decision." In July of 1866, Congress created the grade 
of Admiral in the United States Navy and the position 
was at once given to Farragut, and after his death was 
held by David D. Porter, his friend and foster-brother. 

In June of 1867, Admiral Farragut was appointed to the 
command of the European Squadron, and accompanied by 
Mrs. Farragut, he visited, /during the next two years, 
nearly all the principal European ports. More than forty 
years had passed since the time when, a young midship- 
man and lieutenant, he had visited these cities. Then, 
life was all before him with fame and fortune yet to be 



106 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

won. Now, he was growing old, but the fame he had 
so patiently striven to win was his, and all the world 
gladly welcomed and honored the battle-worn hero. 

While cruising in the Mediterranean, he stopped at the 
beautiful island of Minorca, the home of his ancestors, and 
visited the city of Cindadela where, more than a century 
before, his father was born. His fame had reached even 
this remote place, and the citizens greeted him as one of 
their race and claimed him as their own. Although he 
knew but little about his own people, Farragut was greatly 
pleased by the respect and affection shown him by the 
citizens of his father's native land. 

Returning to the United States, Admiral Farragut visited 
California in the summer of 1869. He had never been 
there since he had command of the Navy Yard at Mare's 
Island, and now he was welcomed with great honor. 

While returning home he was taken seriously ill at 
Chicago, and for several days it was thought that he could 
not recover. At last he grew better and was taken to his 
home in New York ; but serious heart trouble followed his 
illness, and during the winter he had several severe attacks 
which left him weaker each time. He was never well 
again. 

In the summer of 1870, the Government sent the de- 
spatch steamer, Tallapoosa, to take him and his family to 
New Hampshire. It was hoped that a short sea voyage 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 107 

might restore him to health. But this was his last voyage, 
and he seemed to know that it would be such. 

When the steamer entered the Navy Yard at Ports- 
mouth, and the guns were firing a salute of welcome, he 
rose from his bed, dressed himself in his uniform, and 
went on deck. 

For a long time he stood looking up at his admiral's 
flag which floated from the masthead, and at last said 
with a sad smile : " It would be well if I died now in har- 
ness." A few days after, an old sailor found him wander- 
ing about an old sloop-of-war, w^hich was lying dismantled 
at the wharf. He looked the old ship all over and, as he 
turned to go ashore, said: "This is the last time I shall 
ever tread the deck of a man-of-war." These words proved 
to be h true prophecy. On the fourteenth of August, 
1870, with his dear wife and son and many loving friends 
around him, he passed quietly away, in the seventieth year 
of his age. 

His body was placed in the vault at Portsmouth for a 
short time, but in September the Navy Department sent 
the steam frigate Guerriere to bring the Admiral's body to 
New York, and there on the thirteenth of September the 
funeral services were held. 

The city was draped in mourning, bells were tolled, and 
minute guns were fired. President Grant and his Cabinet, 
with many military and naval oflicers, followed the remains 



108 ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 

of their old comrade as the coffin, escorted by ten thousand 
soldiers, was reverently borne to Woodlawn Cemetery, 
where his body now lies. 

In Farragut Square, in the City of Washington, the 
Government has erected a bronze statue in memory of her 
faithful son. The citizens of New York City have also 
erected a similar one in Madison Square and in the Protes- 
tant Episcopal Church of the Incarnation in that city, of 
which he was a member, a mural tablet containing his 
likeness has been placed ; but his most enduring monu- 
ment is in the hearts of his countrymen and in the memory 
of the nation in whose service his whole life was spent. 

A noble character never dies. It is its own best 
memorial. Farragut's great fame was the just reward of 
duty nobly done. Strong, true-hearted, loyal ; a loving 
friend, a generous foe, a devout Christian — Upon this 
grand foundation was built the character of the man who 
became the first Admiral of the United States Navy. 



GEORGE DEWEY, 

Third Admiral U. S. N. 
" The Hero of Manila ^ 



In the year 1633, there came from England to Boston, 
Massachusetts, a man named Thomas Dewey, who in the 
hope of bettering his fortune sailed to the new w^orld and 
made a home for himself and his descendants. Some of 
them settled in Connecticut, but one, named Simeon 
Dewey, went to Berlin, Vermont, and there made his 
home. 

One of his sons. Dr. Julius Y. Dewey, established him- 
self in Montpelier, Vermont, where he married Mary 
Perrin, whose ancestors also came from England and 
whose forefathers fought in the King Philip's War. 

Dr. Dewey's home was directly across the street from 
the capitol building and here, on the morning after Christ- 
mas, December 26, 1837, George Dewey, their third and 
youngest son, w^as born. He was a little too late to be 
considered a Christmas gift, but no doubt his parents and 
two older brothers welcomed him just as kindly and loved 

him as well as if he had arrived on Chrismas Day, although 

U3 



114 GEORGE DEWEY. 

they had no idea then how proud they would be, years 
afterward, of that little Christmas brother. 

Two years after this event a little sister came to the 
Dewey home and was named Mary after her mother. The 
three boys must have been delighted with their little 
sister, and as she grew old enough to join in their sports, 
she became the chosen playmate of her brother George, for 
the other brothers were several years older than these two 
younger ones. 

Back of the house where these children lived, and just 
at the end of their garden, the river ran, making a fine 
place for the boys to wade in summer time, or to go fish- 
ing when there were no lessons to learn, or tasks to be 
done, and when the cold New England winter changed the 
pretty rippling river into an icy pathway there was always 
the fun of skating. When they tired of that, there were 
hills which rose from the fields across the stream and were 
just right for coasting. 

In front of the house was a green lawn, from which 
three steps led down to the sidewalk, just the place for a 
boy coming home from school to sit down and plan with 
his brother and the other boys where they should go fish- 
ing or hunting the next Saturday ; and perhaps, sitting 
there alone, looking across the street at the great State 
House, with its massive granite walls and its lofty dome 
crowned with a statue of Agriculture, little George Dewey 



GEORGE DEWEY. 115 

wondered if in the years to come he would ever help to 
make the laws of his state. Perhaps he aspired to be a 
member of the legistature or a state senator, or built an 
air-castle of the time when he might be elected governor, 
and go vq3 and down those long terraced steps, as stately 
and dignified in manner as the real governor he often 
saw. 

Whether he was ambitious or not, he was surely a brave, 
loyal, true-hearted boy — no real Green-Mountain boy 
could be anything else. 

It is said of Admiral Dewey that when a boy he was not 
fond of reading or study, but never tired of stories of 
adventure and often played " Eobinson Crusoe " with his 
devoted little sister Mary as his man Friday. Another 
story tells us, that one day he read how the famous Hanni- 
bal marched his army over the Alps in the dead of winter 
and defeated the Romans. The snow-covered hills around 
Montpelier, and the bitter cold of a Vermont winter must 
be very like the Alps, thought the ten-year-old boy, and 
calling his little sister, he proposed to march over the 
mountains like Hannibal. 

Away they went, the faithful little " army " marching 
valiantly behind her general ; but, like the great Napoleon 
when he invaded Russia, this small general failed to con- 
sider the effect of the climate upon his troops. Little 
Mary tried hard to be as brave as her leader, but at last, 



116 GEORGE DEWEY. 

tired out and crying with the cold, she returned to the 
house where she was sick in bed for a week afterward. 

We do not know what the young "General" did in this 
emergency, but no doul)t he regretted his thoughtlessness 
and tried in every way to comfort his little sister during 
her illness. 

There are many other stories told of Admiral Dewey's 
boyhood, some of them true and some, perhaps, imaginary, 
for people like to know all about their heroes, and trifling 
incidents become interesting. But even heroes are very 
much like other boys, and Admiral Dewey seems to have 
been no exception to this rule. He was mischievous, fond 
of play and liked plenty of fun ; he also liked to have his 
own way, and would sometimes fight for it. But those 
who knew him best when he was a boy say that he never 
" pitched into " a boy who was younger or weaker than 
himself, and was always ready to " stand up " for any boy 
who was unfairly treated. 

One of the best things said of him is, that he was always 
kind to his little sister and polite to the other little girls 
who were her })laymates. From all that can be learned of 
him at this time, he seems to have been an independent, 
daring boy, inclined to be wilful, full of fun and mischief, 
but truthful, honest, l)rave and courteous. These qualities 
in a boy are good materials with which to build the char- 
acter of a ofood and threat man. He was not allowed to be 



GEORGE DEWEY. 117 

idle, hii father very wisely thinking that work and study 
were just as necessary a part of a boy's life as play and 
fun, and obedience at home and at school was a lesson he 
learned while still young, 

CADET DEWEY. 

When a small boy George Dewey had often wished to 
be a soldier or a sailor, and when he was fifteen years old, 
since there was no vacancy at West Point nor at the 
Naval Academy at Annapolis, his father sent him to a mili- 
tary school at Norwich, Vermont, where he remained 

three years. 

His love of military rules and training was increased by 
his attendance at this school and when, some time in 1854, 
a young friend who had l)een appointed a cadet at Anna- 
polis was unable to accept on account of ill health. Dr. 
Dewey secured the appointment for his son George, and in 
September, 1854, he left his home in Montpelier to become 
a United States Naval Cadet at Annapolis, Maryland. 

He was now nearly eighteen years old, strong, active 
and fond of out-door life; he was also a boy whom 
every one respected. In every school a new pupil's 
courage and "grit" are soon tested, and after knocking 
down one of the cadets, who called him insulting names, 
and thoroughly thrashing" another who did the same 
thing, the cadets, who were really a manly set of boys, 



118 GEORGE DEWEY. 

learned to admire and respect the courage of George 
Dewey. Long before • the four years' training Avas ended 
he was one of the most popular members of the Academy. 

During his first year in this school he did not rank very 
high in his studies, and he cared more for fun and good times 
with the -other boys than for books and recitations. He 
was not a hizy boy, but he had yet to learn that nothing 
really worth having is to be obtained without working hard 
for it, and the boy who goes to the Military Academy at 
West Point or the Naval Academy at Annapolis must learn 
that only hard work and real merit wins. There, no 
favors are shown and no allowances made, for only rigid 
rules and stern discipline make brave, hardy soldiers 
and sailors. 

Dr. Dewey urged his son to study harder and do better 
the next year, and that the young cadet followed his 
father's good advice was proved by his rapid advance- 
ment during his last two years at the Academy. 

MIDSHIPMAN DEWEY. 

In 1858 George Dewey graduated from the Naval 
Academy, standing third in a class of eleven, and received 
a midshipman's warrant. He was immediately sent on a 
two years' cruise to the Mediterranean, in the ship 
Wabash, and during this time received practical lessons 
in naval rules and regulations, besides having the great 



GEORGE DEWEY. Hi) 

advantage of visiting foreign ports and learning something 
about other nations. In 1860 he returned to his father's 
home in Montpelier. 

He was now twenty-three years old, not a very large 
man, but strong and agile, and had a fine presence and 
countenance. He was a graceful dancer and very fond 
of music and sino^ino^. There was nothino^ rude or coarse 
about him. One who knows him well says of him : "From 
boyhood up he has had the instincts, impulses, manners 
and morals of a true gentleman." To be really worthy 
such praise is even better than winning the battle of 
Manila. 

Midshipman Dewey had been at home but a short time 
when the Civil War broke out, and every loyal man was 
called to fight for the liberty and Union of his native land 
and to defend her flag. Especially was this true of those 
who had been educated by the Government, and trained to 
meet such emergencies as this, and many young military 
and naval officers were to serve for the first time under 
fire and receive their first lessons in actual ^varfare. 
Young Midshipman Dewey was now to put into practice 
the training received during his four years at Annapolis 
and two years on the Wabash. 



120 GEORGE DEWEY. 



LIEUTENANT DEWEY. 

On April 19, 1861, Young Dewey received a lieu- 
tenant's commission and was assigned to the Mississipjn, 
a ship belonging to the Western Gulf Squadron, under 
Commander Farragut. On this ship he assisted in the 
capture of New Orleans, the Mississippi being the third 
ship in the line of the first division. 

In this battle the ships started up the river at two 
o'clock in the morning, hoping to pass Fort Jackson and 
Fort St. Philip in the darkness. Like silent spectres, in 
the faint starlight, the long line of ships steamed up the 
river, and when well in range of the forts, were discovered 
by the Confederate soldiers whose batteries immediately 
commenced firing. Again and again the cannon of the 
ship answered the rebel batteries, as they passed them, 
and scarcely had they broken through the barrier stretched 
across the river and passed out of range of the Confederate 
foes, when they met the enemy's gunboats coming down 
the river. " And then all sorts of things happened," said 
a young lieutenant who was in that battle. 

The Confederate ram, Manassas, came swiftly down to 
meet the steady line of battleships, struck the flagship of 
the Commander, then turned quickly upon the Mississippi 
— Lieutenant Dewey's shij) — which, by a quick move, 



GEORGE DEWEY. 121 

evaded the blow and poured a broadside into the Maims- 
sas, which nearly finished her. 

Fire-rafts came floating down among them and the ships 
were obliored to fis^ht fire as well as irunboats, but so 
bravely and swiftly did they work, that in twenty minutes 
after the whole squadron was in action, the eleven 
Confederate gunboats were silenced, some captured, some 
run ashore and some burned ; while thirteen out of the 
seventeen Union vessels rallied round their flagship 
above the forts. 

The remainder of that day the fleet rested, and early 
the next morning started towards New Orleans. Toward 
noon the fleet passed round the bend where the Crescent 
City first appears in sight. Then what an awful scene 
met their sight ! Knowing that their city would be 
taken, the Confederates had fired all the cotten-laden 
ships and steamers, all the cotton ])ales upon the wharves, 
and sent them floating down the river to meet Farragut's 
fleet, and it required all the ingenuity of the captains to 
avoid the flames. 

Silent and grim, without a shout or a cheer, with the 
grand old Stars and Stripes floating from every mast-head 
and the gunners standing ready beside their guns, the long 
line of ])attle-scarred ships steamed up to the docks. The 
crowds along the wharves howled and screamed with rage, 
but never an answering word was heard from the decks. 



122 GEORGE DEWEY. 

Silently a little company of brave men landed and, with 
a flag of truce floating over them, marched to the City 
Hall, where the city vvas formally surrendered to them, 
and soon after the Stars and Stripes once more floated 
over New Orleans. 

This was Lieutenant Dewey's first experience in battle, 
his "baptism of fire," and the battle of Manila has proved 
how well he learned the lesson set before him. 

About a year after this battle, during the attack on Fort 
Hudson, the Mississippi ran on a shoal opposite that city, 
while going at full speed, and could not be moved. For 
more than half an hour the crew tried to release her, then, 
finding that the other ships had passed, while three bat- 
teries had their guns turned upon her and were constantly 
shelling her, the commanding officer, Captain Smith, 
ordered her to be burned. Only three boats were left 
capable of floating, and with these the crew were landed, 
the sick and wounded being taken first. Captain Smith 
and Lieutenant Dewey were the last on board, and firing 
the ship in five places, they prepared to go ashore. 

It is said that, as they were leaving the ship, the captain 
asked Lieutenant Dewey if he thought the ship would 
burn. "I will take one more look to be sure," answered 
the brave lieutenant, and at the risk of his life went back 
to see that the fires were burning. Another writer says 
that Captain Smith and Lieutenant Dewey swam away 



GEORGE DEWEY. 123 

from the ship and that Lieutenant Dewey saved a 
drowning sailor, at the risk of losing his own life. 

Lieutenant Dewey was at the battle of Mobile, where 
Admiral Farragut, lashed to the mainmast of his flagship, 
directed the battle, and when the Temimseh, striking a 
torpedo, plunged to the bottom of the Gulf carrying her 
crew with her, the brave old Admiral ordered his captain 
to "Go ahead, full speed." There with his flagship he led 
the way across the torpedo line, the crew cheering as they 
came and no])ly doing their best, until the Confederate fleet 
and the three forts commanding Mobile Bay were captured. 

In 1868, Lieutenant Dewey served under Captain 
McComb in the James River, and was afterwards trans- 
ferred to the North Atlantic Blocking Squadron under 
Commodore Porter. Here he was assigned to the Agawam, 
and assisted at the siege of Fort Fisher. 

During an attack on the fort. Lieutenant Dewey's ship 
was ordered to sail close to a certain battery. The 
captain objected, saying that their ship was now badly 
damaged ; but Lieutenant Dewey said : " We shall be safer 
near there, and can silence the battery in fifteen minutes." 
The attack was immediately made and the battery taken, 
thus proving that the young lieutenant was wise as 
well as brave. 

After the battle Commodore Porter congratulated the 
captain of the Agawam for taking the battery. " You 



124 GEORGE DEWEY. 

must thank Lieutenant Dewey ; it was his move," replied 
the captain. In 1865, about three months after the cap- 
ture of Fort Fisher, Lieutenant Dewey received his 
commission as Lieutenant-Commander, given him for 
the courage and ability he had shown. 

COMMANDER DEWEY. 

In 1866, Commander Dewey was ordered to the 
Kearsarge^ that famous cruiser which sank the Con- 
federate ship, Alabama, so long the terror of Federal 
merchant ships during the Civil War. In 1867 he was 
transferred to the flagship Colorado, of the European 
Squadron. Before joining this ship he had been on duty 
at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and while there he made 
the acquaintance of Miss Susie Goodwin, daughter of the 
Hon. Ichabod Goodwin, the famous War Governor of New 
Hampshire, who fitted out the first volunteers, at his 
own expense, rather than call an extra session of the 
Legislature. 

On October 24, 1867, Commander Dewey and Miss 
Goodwin were married, and immediately afterward he 
was ordered to European waters with his squadron, where 
he remained nearly two years. 

Late in 1868 he returned to the Naval Academy, where 
he remained until 1870, when he was made Commander of 
the Narragansett, and assigned to special service in charge 



GEORGE DEWEY. 125 

of the torpedo station at Newport. These years of service 
at Newport were the happiest years of Admiral Dewey's 
life, for much of his time could be vspent at his home in 
Newport with his lovely young wife. 

In this home, on December 23, 1872, a son was born to 
them. The vouni^ mother lived lono^ enouoh to name her 
infant son George Goodwin, then quietly passed away, 
leaving her young husband alone with the little boy, who 
would never know a mother's love and care. 

Soon after the death of his wife Commander Dewey was 
sent to the Pacific coast. In 1876 he was made Light- 
house Inspector, and continued in the service until 1882, 
when he was griven command of the Juniata and sent to 
join the Asiatic Squadron. 

While on his way to join the squadron, he was taken 
seriously ill and the ship's surgeon told him that his case 
was hopeless. His only chance lay in a surgical operation 
which had been successfully performed but five times in 
the history of surger}^ 

When this was told Commander Dewey, he asked: 
"What will })e the chances of my living through it?" 
''One chance in fifty," answered the surgeon. "Very 
well, I will take that one chance," replied Dewey. The 
operation was performed, and though a long illness 
followed, he recovered at last. 



126 GEORGE DEWEY, 



CAPTAIN DEWEY. 



In September, 1884, twenty-six years after his gradua- 
tion at Annapolis, he received a Captain's commission, and 
immediately took command of the Dolphin, one of the new 
ships belonging to the White Squadron, then just organized. 
In 1885, he was transferred to the Pensacola and sent 
to Europe in charge of the European Squadron. He 
remained there until 1888, when he was granted a short 
leave of absence, and once more visited his home. 

In 1889, he was made Chief of the Bureau of Equipment 
and Recruiting, and in the performance of these duties, and 
as President of the Board of Inspection and Survey, he 
remained at the Navy Department in Washington until 
November of 1897, when he was promoted to the rank of 
Commodore, and placed in command of the Asiatic Squad- 
ron. He reached the squadron at Nagasaki, Japan, on 
January 3, 1898, and immediately assumed command. 

COMMODORE DEWEY. 

In March, 1898, Commodore Dewey sailed for Hong- 
Kong, a small island off the southeast coast of China, 
belonging to England. There he remained for more than 
a month, preparing for the war with Spain, which it was 
thought the United States could no lonoer avoid. For the 



GEORGE DEWEY. 127 

cause of this war, we must turn ])ack many pages in the 
history of Spain, and learn something of her dealings with 
her colonies and the nations under her government. 

A great many years ago Spain was a great nation. Her 
ships sailed on all the seas and her fleets were more 
powerful than those of any other nation. From her ports 
Columbus sailed when he discovered America and took 
possession of the West Indie Islands in the name of King 
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. From that time until 
August, 1898, Cuba had been under Spanish rule. Ferdi- 
nand De Soto was made governor of the island when he 
sailed to America, in 1533, and leaving his wife to rule 
the island, lost his life in the search for gold on the 
new continent. 

Spanish rule has always been marked by cruelty, for 
her main object was wealth without regard to the rights 
of others. Once the Cubans were a free and happy 
people, but for many years they have been Avorse than 
slaves. They were not bought and sold, like slaves, nor 
were they fed and clothed as comfortably as slaves Avould 
be. The law offered them no protection, they were kept 
in poverty, obliged to do the hard, dirty work on the 
plantations and in the cities, and everything they pos- 
sessed was heavily taxed to increase the wealth of Spain. 

In 1868 the Cubans rebelled and for ten years fought 
for their freedom ; but Spain was far too powerful to be 



128 GEORGE BEWEY. 

conquered by so weak a nation, however brave it might 
be, and one by one the Cuban leaders were killed or scat- 
tered, and Spanish rule became more cruel and oppressive 
than ever. 

Fifty thousand soldiers were sent from Spain, and the 
Cubans were obliged to pay for the support of this army. 
Thus the cruel oppression went on for many years, 
until, in 1895, the Cubans resolved to make one more 
effort to drive out the tyrants, preferring death rather than 
life under such conditions. 

Then another war began. The Spanish Governor, 
General Campas, tried in vain to put down the rebellion, 
and General Weyler, a cruel and determined man, was 
sent to take his place. 

The cruelty of General Weyler is beyond description. 
Thousands of poor people were driven into the towns, 
where, huddled together in foul sheds and huts, breathing 
foul air, drinking impure water and starving for food, 
hundreds of helpless, innocent men, women and children 
died of hunger and disease. All over the island planta- 
tions were destroyed, villages burned, railroads torn up, 
and the once beautiful " Pearl of the Antilles " became a 
picture of desolation and death. 

The people of the United States knew all about these 
cruel acts, for Cuba lies very near our southern coast, 
and the Cubans are almost our nearest neighbors, but for 



GEORGE DEWEY. ] 29 

a \{)n<x time nothini>' could he done to help the island. At 
last, however, the sympathies of the })eo})Ie were thor- 
oughly aroused, and President McKinley was obliged to 
warn the Spaniards that, unless such cruelties ceased and 
the war ended, the United States would recognize Cuba as 
an inde})endent njition. 

This alarmed Spain ; General Weyler was recalled and 
General Blanco sent in his place. General Blanco tried 
to sto}) the war and do ])etter by the i)eople than Genei'al 
Weyler had done, l)ut it was too late. When the i)Oor 
starving })eople were set free, they had no homes to go to, . 
no food to eat and no clothes to wear. 

All over their island, which had once 1)een as beautiful 
and })roductive as a garden, was the terrible destruction 
and desolation of war. 

Then another event occui'red which roused not only the 
svlnpathy, but the anger of the United States. Stationed 
in the luirbor of Havana, to protect American citizens and 
their interests in Cuba, was the American warshij), the 
Maine. Other nations had battleships in the iiai'bor for 
the same pur})ose ; but Si)ain had re>;ente(l President 
McKinley's warning, and thei't; was bitter feeling against 
the United States. On the niorning of the 15th of Feb- 
ruary, 1898, a fearful explosion was heard, and without a 
moment's warning, the grand battleship Maine was 
shattered and })lunged to the bottom of the harljor, 



130 GEORGE DEWEY. 

carrying with her all her crew, of whom two hundred 
and sixty-six, officers and men, were killed. 

There was great excitement throughout the United 
States at this treacherous act. It was discovered that a 
mine had been exploded under the Maine, but it was 
impossible to find out who had placed it in the harbor, 
or who had exploded it. 

A committee was sent to Cuba to investigate the 
matter. Congress met and many eloquent speeches were 
made. Senator John Thurston, who had visited Cub;a 
himself, made an eloquent speech in which he said : "Men, 
women and children stand silent, starving ! The Govern- 
ment of Spain never has, and never will give a dollar to 
save these peo[)le. They are being helped by the charity 
of the United States. We are feeding these citizens of 
Spain, we are nursing their sick, and yet there are people 
who say that it is right to send food, but that we must 
keep hands off! / say that the time has come when 
muskets should go with the food ! " 

Most of the American people agreed with Senator 
Thurston, and Congress authorized President McKinley 
to notify Spain that she must abandon all claim to the 
island of Cuba. This she refused to do, and on April 23, 
1898, war was formally declared between the United States 
and S})ain. 

During all this time Commodore Dewey had not been 



GEORGE DEWEY. 131 

idle. He had seen the war chjuds gathering before he 
sailed to Hoiig-Kong, and the news of the wrecking of the 
Maine soon reached him. During the month spent in the 
harbor of Hong-Kong, he had silently and steadily been 
[ireparing for war. The Philippine Islands, Spain's greatest 
and most valuable possessions in the Pacitic, are about 
six hundred miles southeast of Hong-Kong. The Island 
of Luzon is the largest of the group, and on the western 
side of this island, on the shore of Manila Bay, lies the 
city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. 

Spain's Pacific Squadron was known to be in the vicinity 
of these islands, and Avhen war was declared, the United 
States Government telegraphed to Dew^ey at Hong-Kong 
to sail at once to the Philippines, find the Spanish fleet, 
and capture or destroy it. 

It has been said of Admiral Dewey that he was never 
found unprepared for any emergency or responsil)ility, and 
this certainly was true now. From the time he left the 
United States to take conmiand of the Asiatic Squadron, 
he had been planning and preparing for the battle which 
was fouglit at Manila. To a gentleman who asked him 
something about the great victory, he ansAvered : '^The 
battle was won in Hons^-Konfi: harbor." 

He made all his preparations while there. His men had 
been drilled at target-practice, in preparing for action, in 
landing, in fire-drill and all other conditions of battle that 



132 GEORGE DEWEY. 

might iirise, until every man on those great l^attleships 
knew just where he would l)e stationed, and what he must 
do. Day after day he had called his captains together and 
consulted with them, and when his plans w^ere completed, 
explained them to his officers, until, from the Commodore 
down to the stokers, wdio, deep in the hold of the great 
ships, filled the huge furnaces whose fires ke[)t the mighty 
engines ;it work, every man knew what his work must be 
and was filled with courage and faith. 

An old gunner, who had charge of one of the great guns, 
was asked by a newspaper correspondent: "Where did 
you think you were going, and what did you expect to do 
when you sailed away from Hong-Kong?" "Go, and 
do!" exclaimed the gunner, "little did I or any one else 
on this ship care, as long as the old man was ordering it. 
We knew we were going to a hot i)lace, and we meant to 
make it hotter still for the Spaniards ; 1)ut, man, we would 
have sailed straight into the jaws of death, after him !" 

On the morning of April 27, l(Si)8, Commodore Dewey 
sailed from Mirs Bay, near Hong-Kong, straight for 
^lanila, six hundred miles away, and on Ai)ril 30, a 
little l)efore midnight, the whole fieet, led by the flagship 
Ohjmpia, steamed through the South channel into Manila 
Bay. All the lights on the ships were hidden in order 
that they might not be seen by the forts guarding the 
entrance of the bay, and silently the great ships moved 



GEORGE BEWEY. ]:]S 

on in the darkness, unseen by the Spaniards, until all 
except the McQulloch had passed. The soot in her smoke- 
stack caught fire rnd jdarnied the forts on an island. 
Immediately the Si)anish l)atteries tired on the fleet, but 
steaming straight ahead they were soon out of danger. 

When daylight dawned, the lookout on the Olympia 
saw, far ahead, the Spanish fleet drawn up in line of 
battle, under the protection of the batteries at Cavite, 
al)out nine miles from the city of Manila. 

Manila Bay was a beautiful })icture that May-day 
morning. Far off" lay the green hills and forests of the 
tropical island, while resting in a line upon the sparkling 
waters of the bay, the Spanish fleet under Admiral Patricio 
Montojo, waited the coming of the l^attleships, now 
steaming toward them, silent and terrible, with the 
bright Stars and Stripes floating in the morning sunlight. 

Could the spectators have forgotten that Death and 
Destruction were swiftly advancing also, the picture 
would have been perfect. 

Al)Out five o'clock, the American fleet, with the flag- 
ship Ohjmpia leading, came within range of the Spanish 
guns. Suddenly a nuitflcd roar was heard close to the 
Olympia, and in a few moments another ! Two sub- 
marine mines had l)een exploded, but in their excitement 
the Spaniards had fired them too soon, and no damage 
was done. 



134 GEORGE BEWEY. 

Commodore Dewey did not know how many more 
torpedoes might, lie concealed under the shining water, 
but he did not hesitate. He rememl)ered that day in 
Mobile Bay, more than thirty years before, when, serving 
under Admiral Farragut, he had seen the Tecumseh sent 
to the bottom by a mine explosion, and had heard the 
Admiral's command, " Go ahead, full speed ! " as on his 
flagship he led the way across the torpedo line. Remem- 
beiins: this lesson he, too, steamed straisfht ahead, and 
met the storm of shot and shell which poured from the 
guns of the Spanish batteries and ships. 

The American sailors were wild with excitement. They 
had been ready for battle since leaving Hong-Kong, they 
had stood at their guns all night, and now the enemy was 
before them. But obedience is the sailor's first law and 
not a man moved or spoke. 

Again and again the Spanish guns " volleyed and 
thundered," but no answering shot was heard, as, silent, 
swift and strong, the mighty battleships swept nearer and 
nearer, every man at his post, every man ready for action. 
The S})aniards were astounded. The awful silence was 
more terrifying than the deafening roar of cannon ! 

At last the Oh/mpia came within close range. Commo- 
dore Dewey gave the command to fire and suddenly one 
of the great guns sent an answering shot straight into the 
Spanish fleet. Across the waters of the bay the echoes 



GEORGE DEWEY. 1 ;>,;") 

rolled, and every man on the American fleet sent an 
answering shout, '' Remember the Maine,'' and the great 
battle of Manila had bes^an. 

Slowly the line of American ships steamed by, the 
Olympia, w^ith Commodore Dewey standing on the bridge, 
leading, closely followed by the Baltimore, Raleigli, Petrel, 
Concord and Boston, every ship pouring deadly broadsides 
into the Spanish squadron as it passed. Then, turning, 
they steamed back again a little nearer, and again the 
terrible storm of shot nnd shell swept the Spanish decks. 
This time the Spanish flagship, the Reina Ohristina, was 
destroyed. Again they turned and swept past, and yet 
again, until in two hours they had passed the Spanish 
fleet five times and sunk or disabled nearly every 
Spanish vessel. 

It was then reported to Commodore Dewey that his 
ships were short of annnunition and he withdrew to 
distribute a fresh supply, l)ut on investigation tliis re[)ort 
proved false. However, it gave the tired sailors time 
to get some breakfast, and they gladly improved the 
oi)p()rtunity. 

At eleven o'clock the American fleet returned to the 
attack, oidy to lind the Spanish fleet almost destroyed, and 
the firing soon ceased. After sailing six hundred miles in 
three days, the American scpiadron had fought and won a 
great battle before breakfast, and without the loss of a 



136 GEORGE DEWEY. 

single man. Only seven men were slightly wounded, 
and not a ship was injured, while eleven Spanish ships 
were burned or captured, and three hundred and eighty 
men killed and wounded. 

The Manila batteries kept up a continuous fire from the 
beginning of the engagement, and Commodore Dewey did 
not return it, as he had no wish to needlessly destroy life 
or property in the city. Bat finding that the batteries 
continued firing after the Spanish fleet was silenced, the 
Commodore sent a message to the Governor-General at 
Manila, that, "if the batteries did not cease firing, he 
would shell the city." It is needless to say that the 
batteries ceased firing immediately. 

On May 3, the Spanish Arsenal at Cavite and the 
batteries on Corregidor Island surrendered to the Amer- 
icans. On May 10, Commodore Dewey received the 
thanks of Congress, and on May 13, 1898, he was 
promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral. 

REAR-ADMIRAL. 

From the day of the battle of Manila until June 30, 
when the first American soldiers reached Manila, Admiral 
Dewe}^ was in command of those islands which had surren- 
dered to the American fleet. From the time General 
Merritt arrived and took command, Admiral Dewey 
co-operated with him in the siei>e of Manila, which 



GEORGE DEWEY. • IT, 7 

surrendered August 13, and later, when the Filipino 
insurrection broke out, he assisted the army in every 
possible way. Before the Filipinos declared war against 
the United States, Admiral Dewey had won the respect 
and admiration of Aguinaldo, and through his influence the 
Filipino leader treated the Spanish prisoners with greater 
kindness than they would otherwise have received. 

Admiral Dewey's courteous manner toward the represent- 
atives of other nations who were present at Manila, and his 
wisdom, diplomacy and courage in dealing with some who 
were disposed to be troublesome, no doubt prevented 
serious trouble, if not war, with other nations. Captain 
Chichester, commander of the English warship Iimnor- 
talite, said of him: "Dewey is a natural tighter, but true 
fighter that he is, he prefers to win a peaceful victory. 
He is a great man." 

ADMIRAL DEWEY. 

March 2, 1899, Rear-Admiral Dewey was raised to the 
highest rank in the Navy, being made a full Admiral of 
the United States Navy, the third man in the history of 
our nation to win this title, the first Adnrirjil being David 
Farragut, the second, David Porter. 

On May 20, 1S99, Admiral Dewey started from INFanila 
on his return to America. From that May-day morning, 
when he first sailed into Manila Bay, until he left it a year 



GEORGE DEWEY. 1;j9 

afterward to return home, he had never been absent from 
Manihi for more than part of a day. Every other officer 
and man in the squadron had made trips to Hong-Kong, 
but Admiral Dewey never left his post. Such devotion to 
duty is seldom found, and, when united with courage, good 
sense, and a gentle, courteous nature, is it any wonder that 
its possessor l)ecame the idol of his countrymen? 

When in May, 1899, it was announced that Admiral 
Dewey would start for home and reach New York some 
time in October, his countrymen immediately began 
making preparations to give their hero a royal welcome. 
In Vermont, his native state, they proposed to erect a 
statue of Admiral Dewey on the portico of the capitol at 
Montpelier, opposite one of Ethan Allen, the Green Moun- 
tain hero, which was placed there when Dewey was a 
student at the Naval Academy. 

When Dewey heard that his native state intended to 
honor him in this Avay, he said: "I remember going to 
look at that statue of Ethan AHen with awe and reverence. 
I can see it now as jilain as I saw^ it first, nearly forty 
years ago. I never dreamed tliat my statue would ever 
be placed alongside of his, or anywhere else in the world, 
in those days, and I can hardly realize now that I have 
done enough to deserve it. Still, if there is anything that 
would please me, it is that the |)eople of Vermont should 
in this way wish to show me their love and esteem." 



140 GEORGE DEWEY. 

The Ohjmpia sailed from Manila on May 20, 1899, with 
Admiral Dewey on board, visiting the Mediterranean 
and some of the ports of Europe on her way home. 
Everywhere he went .the Admiral received the honor and 
respect due a good and brave man. 

The Olympia was to reach New York about October 1, 
but the Admiral surprised his friends by arriving three 
days ahead of time. How the people welcomed him ! 
Escorted by every ship in the harbor, every steamer, tug, 
ferryboat, barge, yacht or scow that could reach New 
York harbor, gay with flags and streamers, loaded with 
people, with bands playing, bells ringing, whistles blowing 
and thousands of friendly voices cheering, the Olympia 
steamed triumphantly home, her long journey ended, her 
important mission successfully accomplished, and her war- 
worn Admiral brought safely back to his native land and 
welcoming countrymen. 

Perhaps the happiest moment of Admiral Dewey's home- 
comino' was when his son Geor^re came on board the 
Olympia to welcome the father who had been absent nearly 
two years, and in that time had won a world-wide fame. 

On October 3, Admiral Dewey visited Washington 
where a grand reception awaited him. A long line of 
soldiers and sailors, infantry, cavalry, artillery and 
marines, headed by General Miles and rank after rank 
of brilliantly attired aides and officers, marched down the 



GEORGE DEWEY. 141 

broad avenue toward the Capitol ; then came the " ^lan 
of Manihi,'' ridins: with President McKinUw. FoHowinof 
tlieir carriage came the otBcers and men of the Ohjmpia^ 
and after them the governors of the ditferent states 
accom[)anied by their statFs. 

When the Admiral reached the stand, where in the 
presence of the vast crowd a sword was to be presented 
to him, the ])and i)htyed "Hail to the Chief," and cheer 
after cheer rose from the throng. With words of praise 
and gratitude, President McKinley presented the golden 
sword in the name of the Congress of the United States, 
and with words of gracious courtesy the tired hero 
accepted it and expressed his thanks. 

All the princi[)al cities of the country sent invitations 
to him, but, though grateful for the love and admiration 
which prompted these invitations, he. wished to rest, and 
courteously declined them. The people of the United 
States purchased a beautiful home in Washington and 
presented it to hnn, all ready for him to occupy at once. 

On November 1), Admiral Dewey was (juietly mariicd to 
Mrs. Mildred M. Hazen ; and in the ])eautiful houK^ given 
him by a grateful country, let us leave him, with the hope 
that his declining years may be passed in peace and com- 
fort, under the shadow of the grand old tiag for which he 
has fought l)ravely and victoriously on both continents, 
and whose honor he has upheld on all the oceans of 
tlie earth. 



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